The 10-day monsoon session of the Karnataka Legislature, which will get underway on Monday, is expected to be acrimonious, considering that the Opposition is eager to corner the BJP government on handling of rain havoc in Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka, and on the alleged PSI scam and corruption in contract works.
The session is crucial for all political parties ahead of the next year’s Assembly elections. It is expected to be stormy as the Opposition Congress and JD(S) are keen to expose the Basavaraj Bommai-led government on issues of alleged “40% corruption”, scams in recruitment, and “crumbling” Bengaluru’s infrastructure and rain havoc in districts.
The Opposition parties are likely to raise destruction caused by south-west monsoon to standing crops on thousands of hectares, houses, and public infrastructure. The alleged delay on the part of the authorities to disburse compensation to families affected by rains and floods is expected to be raised.
From the treasury benches, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is expected to counter the Opposition’s attack by rolling out alleged corrupt deals during the previous Congress government, as indicated by him during the ‘Janaspandana’ event held by the ruling party on Saturday at Doddaballapur.
Communal politics
The ruling BJP's attempt to divide the people on communal lines by raking up a V.D. Savarkar-versus-Tipu Sultan debate during the Ganesha festival, the killings of youths in Dakshina Kannada and Shivamogga, and NIA probe only into killings of BJP Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru and not Mohammed Fazil and B. Masood in Dakshina Kannada are expected to raise the heat.
The Opposition will question the probe by the Udupi police which had given a clean chit to former Minister and MLA K.S. Eshwarappa in a case related to the alleged suicide of contractor Santhosh Patil. Patil's family blamed the then RDPR Minister for his death. The government would come under criticism on alleged saffronisation of school education and lapses in the CET rankings of 2022 as well.
The Opposition, particularly the Congress, which has questioned the “existence” of the government on several occasions, is expected to embarrass a few Ministers and MLAs on different issues. Law Minister J.C. Madhuswamy’s remark (“We are not running a government here, but just doing management”) during a phone conversation with a Channapatna-based social worker and MLA Aravind Limbavali’s behaviour with a woman in Bengaluru too would be raised.
Members of both ruling and Opposition would take jibes at each other on Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah's 75th birthday show in Davangere and the Mr. Bommai-led government's Janaspandana.
Delimitation, BBMP polls
The delimitation of wards, postponement of elections to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, discrimination in allocation of funds for constituencies of Opposition members, delay in getting clearance for the Mekadatu project, and delay in fixing quota for some communities are expected to come up for discussion during the session.
The government is expected to table a Bill to constitute a separate authority to manage Bengaluru’s traffic density.
Meanwhile, the Legislative Council is likely to elect a new chairman since BJP’s Raghunath Rao Malkapure has been the protem chairman for over three months following the resignation of Basavaraj Horatti, who joined the BJP and won for a record eighth time.
The session will provide an opportunity for the government to take stock of its lapses in governance. For the Congress, it will provide a platform to put the government on the mat ahead of its leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ entering Karnataka on September 30.
