With a clear majority in the Bharatiya Janata Party State legislature wing voting for D.V. Sadananda Gowda as leader of the legislature party and chief ministerial candidate, an unedifying phase of factional struggle appears to be behind the party, at least for the present. With a consensus candidate eluding the two factions — the B.S. Yeddyurappa-led faction backed Mr. Gowda, and the H.N. Ananthkumar-led group fielded Rural Development and Panchayati Raj minister Jagadish Shettar — the central party leadership was obliged to accede to the demand for a secret ballot. Its outcome, a victory for Mr. Yeddyurappa, is already causing disquiet in the other faction even though Mr. Shettar has been promised the post of Deputy Chief Minister. A belligerent Mr. Yeddyurappa, who was forced to step down on July 31 following his indictment in the report on illegal mining by the Karnataka Lokayukta, bargained hard for a person of his choice as his successor. He rallied his supporters and let the central party leadership know that he was a force to reckon with. Nevertheless, his problems are far from over with Governor H.R. Bhardwaj, in a well-timed move, giving sanction to the Lokayukta police to prosecute him under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
While the BJP high command will be relieved that its only government in south India has been saved, the political crisis has not gone away. Indeed, it is this crisis that will present both challenges and opportunities for the incoming Chief Minister. The ever-smiling Mr. Gowda, Member of Parliament from Udupi-Chickmagalur in Dakshina Kannada district and a relatively non-controversial and affable figure in the party, has had no administrative experience. More importantly, he must shed the image of being Mr. Yeddyurappa's factotum. Mr. Gowda will be judged by how he confronts the issues of corruption plaguing the party and the government, and whether he allows the legal process in the two sets of cases before the Special Lokayukta Court pertaining to corruption allegations against Mr. Yeddyurappa to proceed unhindered. Illegal mining has cost the state Rs.16,085 crore, according to the Lokayukta report, which has also given a series of recommendations to prosecute the corrupt and cleanse the administrative machinery. It is for Mr. Gowda to implement the recommendations of the report. This may not be easy as, in addition to the outgoing Chief Minister, he will need to take on the powerful Bellary clique of Ministers and the vested interests that depend on illegal mining. For a start, his independence and seriousness of purpose will be seen in who he inducts into his Ministry — in the light of the indictments in the Lokayukta report.
Keywords: Karnataka political crisis, Sadananda Gowda, BJP, B.S. Yeddyurappa, illegal mining, Lokayukta report, Prevention of Corruption Act, Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj
The selection of the new CM in no way brings a ray of hope for the state,as its quite evident that he is going to be a mere dummy CM.We cant expect him to act independently or take actions against his master.I think the selection of Mr Gowda is two steps behind rather than a single step ahead.
BJP,which made its presence felt in South by forming government on its own in Karnataka,seems losing its sheen.An opposition party in Lok Sabha, which was supposed to fight hard against Congress,is limping with its problems.India is in need of not only a good and favorable ruling party but also aggressive opposition party.
It is pathetic to know that in a democratic country ,an accused CM is leaving his post by making his yes man to take his position .How we are sure that justice would be done to the yeddyurappa and the other accused in the illegal mining case.BJP is trying to make his image by making Yeddyurappa resigning,but he should know that public are no longer gullible.
The present model of democracy has failed to deliver. If a powerful CM is sought to be dislodged, he brings his yes man to the seat. The voting people, who are furious about corruption are able to do nothing about this. In the matter of corruption there is no difference between Congress and BJP. I wonder how BJP claims that they are the better alternative! Very demoralising feeling for Indians, indeed!
As Mr. Yeddyurappa has virtually selected his preferred successor it is very hard to accept that an unhindered probe will be done on illegal mining case. At least the support given by the state government in the investigation is not expected to be to the fullest. As the central government is battling its own corruption demons and are on the backfoot in this issue, how effective they will tackle this situation is also highly debatable. Its only a fool's hope that Mr. Gowda will attain the political stability the state require desperately.
If the new CM is the man of the ex CM how can he act independently? When BJP came to power first time in the South of India I had high hope. Now I dont know what to hope. We have the corrupt BJP and the most corrupt Congress. Out of this BJP is the leser evil. Pray the new CM uses his sense and lead well. What we do now will affect the next generation of Indians. Wish we act well now and create a better India for them.
Only the time will tell how new Karnataka Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda runs his government and handles his predecessor BSY and his wrongdoings. Going by what is happening in the Indian politics,the new Chief Minister will not be much different from BSY in any manner. But what is now distressing to see that an indicted Chief Minister has been able to dictate terms to his BJP which is the main opposition party and calls itself a party with a difference.Does the biggest democracy in the world, we are pompously calling ourselvs allow all this?
Nowhere the problems of the State have been made more complex than they were,than in Karnataka. The role of the Governor has been used (or misused)for partisan ends by the Congress Party which itself has been engulfed in a tsunami of corruption. If a similar pro-active role has been played by the President of India, the present Govt. at the Center would have been out of office long back. But this is not to condone the corruption of Yeddyurappa who is indicted by the report of Santosh Hegde. This is one more instance of how the power caucus within the Congress Party manipulated independent institutions to subserve its partisan ends.
Please Email the Editor