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The political drama • Power play Yeddyurappa has been given

continues in Karnataka 15 days to prove his majority in the Karanataka
Assembly. Will he be able to do so?

Dalit Card
As Yeddyurappa takes oath as CM without required majority, there is every likelihood Both BJP and Congress were seemingly
Hard of horse-trading taking place amid reports of huge sums being offered to MLAs of the desperate to woo Dalit voters. In this
regard, the Congress, which had been
Congress and JD(S) to lure them to the saffron party’s fold to hit the magical number
LIne in power inthe state had something
to count on whereas the BJP could
Anil Singh heatrical antics in the political several mutts, temples and darghas. The only showcase its record at the Centre,
arena of Karnataka have con- BJP president, Amit Shah, was also said to which lamentably is dismal. This had
tinued to rule the roost even hit the same number by addressing rallies put the BJP in a right royal fix over
The columnist is over the formation of the next and. holding roadshows in the state. Dalits. The portends seemed deeply
Executive Editor of T government in the state in the With several opinion polls predict- worrying for the party, especially in
News24 news wake of fractured mandate in which the ing a fractured mandate in Karnataka, Karnataka. One expert has opined that
channel. The views Congress has been roundly defeated and the BJP was hopeful of a turn in fortunes BJP’s caste-agnostic approach under
here expressed are the the BJP has been denied the laurels of vic- with PM Modi hitting the last phase of Modi-Shah duo seeks to consolidate
author’s own tory. The Congress has struck a post-poll the campaign and accordingly, PM Modi Hindu votes under the saffron banner
alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) by held 21 public rallies in different parts of but the political manoeuvre has strug-
agreeing to offer “unconditional” support the state instead of 15 scheduled earlier. gled to surmount the insurmountable
to the JD (S) to form a government. The This showed the BJP’s continued reli- social fault lines. Besides, BJP’s Dalit
BJP, having won 104 seats, 8 short of the ance on PM Modi’s charisma, taking a cue outreach program is in disarray and
magic number of 112, has elected B. S. Yed- from 2017 Gujarat assembly polls, to turn the party is facing stinging criticism
dyurappa as leader of its legislative wing electoral fortunes in its favourand the BJP who are BJP candidates in the upcom- Modi held 21 public even from leaders within the party.
and staked its claim to be invited to form did reap good dividends by increasing ing polls. rallies in different Under BJP’s new diktat, as one critic
the government on the basis of being the its tally of seats to 104 as compared to 40 The Karnataka unit of the BJP lost opines, party’s ministers and MPs are
single largest party. seats in 2013. no time in responding by listing out 15 parts of the state rushing to spend nights with Dalits,
Concurrently, the Congress with 78 major sins of the Siddaramaiah govern- share their food and grievances but
seats and JD (S) with 37 seats have also Electoral Gaucherie ment, in a series of tweets, accusing instead of 15 instead of “restoring faith”, a series of
staked their claim to form government The tone and tenor of electoral campaign- the ruling Congress of shielding the scheduled earlier. sorry gaffes has reduced the effort to
because their combined strength being ing by both the BJP and the Congress in corrupt and rich politicians, business- a farce, prompting even the RSS to
115 surpasses the required number of 112. public speeches and through social media men, gross violation of rules in award- This seems to have sound a warning.
However, the governor has invited the during the Karnataka elections was often ing major contracts and tenders and helped the party turn Even BJP MP Udit Raj is reported
BJP leader Yeddyurappa who has been characterized by exchange of barbs, jibes, sought answers from the party on the to have said the other day that merely
sworn in as the chief minister and has faux pas and solecism thereby making it allegations made by it. fortune in its favour having food at homes of Dalits is not
been asked to prove his majority on the look like Kurukshetra battlefield where While responding to personal enough, as the need of the hour is to
floor of the House within the constitu- epic battle of Mahabharata was fought. attacks by PM Modi the other day, address their aspirations and
tionally stipulated period. There is every Recently, Congress president Rahul Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, in a bhasha (mother’s mother tongue) … grievances.
likelihood of horse-trading taking place Gandhi put out a video titled “Karnataka’s scathing response said: “Whenever Congress president, sir, we cannot sit While pointing out a growing strong
and there are also reports of huge sums Most Wanted” on his Twitter account with Modi is afraid... he launches a personal before you. You are ‘naamdar’ (famous), undercurrent amongst Dalits and Mus-
being offered to MLAs of the Congress/JD photographs of Modi and other BJP lead- attack. He will talk ill of a person... That while I am ‘kaamdar’ (ordinary worker). lims against the BJP and the possibility
(S) to lure them to the BJP fold to reach the ers with the party’s election candidates, is the difference between me and him… We have no status to sit in front of you.” of these two communities coming
magical number. What happened in Goa, including former ministers who have Let him say anything about me. Wrong In his rejoinder to Modi’s taunts, Rahul together, who make up close to 35
Manipur and Meghalaya in 2017 has now cases of corruption registered against or right, it will make no difference… Gandhi while quoting in Kannada percent of the population, one expert
been replicated in Karnataka as well. them. The tweet read: “Dear Modi ji, You He cannot talk about education, about from social reformer Basaveshwara’s has asserted that Karnataka election
With no party in a position to take talk a lot. Problem is, your actions don’t roads, about farmers… but since he Vachanas, said: “Basaveshwara said would be as good as over. In the wake
anything for granted in Karnataka polls, match your words. Here’s a primer on needs to give a speech, he talks about Nudidante Nade [do as you say]. But of PM Modi having raked up the Dalit
the top brass of the BJP and Congress your candidate selection in Karnataka.” Rahul Gandhi.” Mr. Modi never does what he says.” It CM issue, Karnataka Congress had-
left nothing to chance and hit the road While accusing PM Modi of “putting a lid While leveling further taunts is in this backdrop that some experts dared Modi to announce the BJP’s Dalit
extensively. According to media re- on 35,000 crore illegal iron-ore mining against Rahul Gandhi, PM Modi said: feel that Rahul Gandhi has matched CM candidate before speaking about
ports, Congress president Rahul Gandhi scam of the Reddy Brothers,” the tweet “His [Rahul’s] speaking for 15 minutes PM Modi rally for rally so far in the the Congress.
travelled 3,500 kilometres, covering all also asked, “When will you speak on your is itself is a big thing... You can speak in last, critical phase of campaigning in
30 districts of Karnataka, and had visited top 11 leaders facing corruption cases?”, Hindi, English or your mata ki matra- Karnataka. letters@tehelka.com

tehelka / 31 may 2018 20 www.tehelka.com tehelka / 31 may 2018 21 www.tehelka.com

20-21 Karnataka Column Anil Singh.indd 2-3 18/05/18 3:35 PM