Bangalore is in the news again, as usual for all the wrong reasons.
An unusual constitutional crisis precipitated today, when Chief Minister Dharam Singh couldn’t and wouldn’t’ seek a vote of confidence to prove his majority and retain the reigns of power, before the deadline of January 27th set by the Governor T. N. Chaturvedi.
With the shameful conduct of all, especially of those sore losers from Congress, the recent political events in Karnataka have reached a climax of sorts. The Congress leaders and their allies deliberately prevented their own Chief Minister from seeking vote of confidence (which he was sure to lose) in the well (the space in front of the first row of seats) of the legislative assembly. The Governor has sought legal opinion but he has no option other than dismissing the present government, which anyway has lost majority support. When the Kumaraswamy led JD-BJP takes office on February 3rd, we can speculate on what it means for Karnataka and in general, for Indian politics too, since this would be the first step for BJP to gain legitimacy and a seat at the table in a South Indian state.
Clearly, Congress did not anticipate such a crisis and even when Janata Dal (S) leaders recently began openly negotiateing with BJP to form a new government, their reaction wasn’t swift; a Kannada daily commented that ‘Congress began digging a well after the fire started’. This political (self) suicide, as my friend Girish would say, began with a systematic effort by Congress to poach JD (S) MLAs (the latter is Congress’s coalition partner, let us remember), a legitimate political though morally dubious exercise. Even as all this unfolded, the Congress central leadership did not want to meet with JD (S) Supremo, ‘perennial’ complainer and former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda, causing him to lose all influence he once had with his own followers. Anyway, regardless of what happened and what might happen in the next week, there is much to lament.
So what shall we lament today?
Constitutional break down in Karnataka, now that our Chief Minister wouldn’t seek a vote of confidence as mandated by the Governnor, thanks to the machinations of his own party members!
Or the ‘faltu’ technical objections Congress leaders and their allies raised about the recognition of Kumaraswamy as the new JD (S) legislative party leader, when it is clear to anybody with common sense that he has the support of over 75% of legislators? The man has also the support of 135 ‘freaking’ MLAs, when the majority required is just 113 to form the government. I am not a fan of the guy but let him get his due.
Or the break down of civility and probity in public life, where anything goes and those in public life aren’t required to or even expected to state why they seek public trust and public office! If I have any objections to a Kumaraswamy government, it is just that I don’t know what the guy stands for! He has never told me why I should care about his political vision and public policy (if he has one), nor has he made a compelling case for the kind of soceity we should strive for.
Or the classic middle class concerns - crumpling infrastructure, bankrupt public policy, mediocre education system that is geared towards producing (technical and medical) clerks and so on and so forth!
Or our own lack of commitment to probity in public life, to insist and demand that our leaders and representatives be more responsibile!
or Deve Gowda’s karma, as the former Prime Minister himself did, to explain the events of the past week! Some sin he committed in previous life has unleashed this new government on us, poor Kannadigas. His staunch followers, led by his own son, refused to listen to him, their supreme leader. What did we all do in our past lives, to deserve any of this?
Or an ‘unentertaining’ blame game, which has begun in earnest. Congress Central leadership has blamed Deve Gowda for not controlling his flock. State Congress leadership seems to want to blame the Governor and the Speaker of the Assembly; so the MLAs barged into into the well of the Assembly, not allowing the Speaker to conduct the proceedings, once he recognized Kumaraswamy as the new leader of JD (S) legislative party. Kumaraswamy and his friends blame Congress and its allies for trying to break their party, for treating them with dignity etc.
Personally, I shall lament the denoument of Deve Gowda’s political career, not because it is ending. All things - good or bad - must end and Deve Gowda has had a fantastic career. But I am sad because once Deve Gowda is gone, the Indian Express will not have anybody to blame for the ills of Bangalore. Today it has taken what I hope will be the final potshot at him. In that spirit, here is a memo to Shekhar Gupta and his editorial team: Despair not. If you like someone else to blame as you continue to lick the boots of IT captains, we will offer you an army of volunteers.
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