The political charade in Karnataka has come to such a pass that the Bharatiya Janata Party that had unsuccessfully formed the first government after the election is at government formation again by trial and error and subverting the will of the people of Karnataka (Editorial, “The visible hand”, July 9). Both the party and its State party president and former Karnataka Chief Minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa, have a yen to wrest power even if they lose elections. Consequently, the party with a difference has metamorphised into a party of defectors and the MLAs who are raring to cross over have betrayed the trust of the people. If the JD(S) and the Congress give rebel MLAs ministerial berths, it will be a surefire way for others to rebel. This is a vicious circle. Even if the BJP manages to form a government with floating MLAs, its longevity will be suspect again. This will give rise to a piquant situation. One can safely conclude that democracy in Karnataka is at the mercy of power-hungry politicians.
Abdul Assis P.A.,
Kandassankadavu, Thrissur, Kerala
Even if the BJP forms the government through the back door, it would not the government of, for and by the people, but of, for and by defectors. The party leadership in Delhi may claim that it has nothing to do with the the crisis but the acts of their State leaders make it crystal clear that these cannot be without clearance from Delhi. Perhaps the time has come to dissolve the House and let voters decide who they want.
N. Nagarajan,
Secunderabad
The BJP’s hunger for power by any means will dent its image. Ironically, the ‘party with a difference’ is emerging as past master in the art of engineering political defections. In Karnataka, the BJP was piped by a swift and nimble Congress which allowed the JD(S) to lead the coalition government. Ever since then the BJP has been smarting and relentless in its attempts to topple the government. In this game of one-upmanship, it is the people who suffer, as governance is the last thing on the minds of their legislators.
Vijai Pant,
Hempur, Uttarakhand
If the party leadership somehow succeeds in appeasing the disgruntled MLAs they can never be trusted. Amidst political uncertainty the administration will be in a state of inertia. Parties must think about dealing with horse trading and shifting allegiance in a serious manner. Existing anti-defection laws are ineffective and law-makers find out ample loopholes to escape disqualification. Those who vitiate democratic credibility must be debarred from accessing all benefits as elected representatives.
Dr. George Vareekal,
Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh
