Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Dec 2: Completing four years and seven months, Siddaramaiah is racing towards finishing his term as the Chief Minister (CM). If he does so, he will be the first CM in the last four decades to complete a full five-year term.
After D Devraj Urs who ruled as Chief Minister between 1972-77, no other CM was able to complete a full five-year term. Though S M Krishna had provided a stable government between 1999 and 2004, he did not complete the full term as he decided to go to polls five months in advance.
Since 1978, Karnataka has seen 19 governments and had President's rule imposed four times.
However, Siddaramaiah has proved to be a seasoned politician. Though known to be a 'new convert to the Congress' with a section of party loyalists becoming upset on his elevation, he ensured that they did not gang up against him. He has wriggled out of difficult situations and carefully got rid of his adversaries or kept them in good terms.
His adversaries such as former ministers V Srinivas Prasad and A H Vishwanath quit the Congress, while party veterans such as B Janardhana Poojary and C K Jaffer Sharief who used to openly criticise his style of functioning were silenced. He managed to keep Dalit leader and Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in good terms by inducting his son Priyank Kharge into the Cabinet.
Siddaramaiah had many challenges. Yet he managed to give good governance as well as kept the government stable. Siddaramaiah has intelligently taken advantage of the lack of clarity in the Congress high command and emerged as a strong leader.
Meanwhile, it is likely that Siddaramaiah will continue to be CM if Congress retains its power by winning 2018 Assembly polls. The Congress high command, which is desperate to retain power in Karnataka, too, has declared that Siddaramaiah will lead the party campaign in the Assembly elections.
Known to take a strong stand against superstitions, Siddaramaiah proved that jinxes have nothing to do in retaining a stable government. Earlier Chief Ministers believed that visiting Chamarajanagar town and using 'Kaveri' as official residence was bad luck, leading them to lose the post. Siddaramaiah not only visited Chamarajanagar town many times, but he continues to stay in 'Kaveri.'