Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Jul 7: At a time when the old guard of the Congress party are busy playing politics in internal squables, securing their posts in the party, backstabbing up and coming leaders and nursing their personal egos rather than of the party, the party is receiving urgent wake up calls. The party, already bogged down by poor performance in the assembly elections followed by mud slinging, blame-games and inability to find a suitable person to lead the party in the state, is under attack. There appears to be a exodus of legislators from the Congress and the JD (S) to the BJP in the state.
The BJP, which was doing a tight rope walk to save itself from sliding to nowhere, has been strengthening its numbers. In addition to Congress legislator from Karwar Anand Asnotikar, the BJP has succeeded in getting two legislators from the JD (S), Arabavi legislator Balachandra Jarkiholi and Devadurga MLA Shivana Gowda Nayak into its fold. Now. Narasimhaswami, legislator representing Doddaballapur constituency has jumped into the BJP bandwagon, deserting the Congress. It may be recalled, that Narasimhaswami is the son of veteran Congress leader R L Jalappa and had defeated ex-minister Channigappa in the election. This move gives out a clear signal that he had obtained his father's concurrence before defecting to the BJP and this may also be a step taken by R L Jalappa towards embracing the saffron party himself and making a bid to become that party's MP from Doddaballapur.
Narasimhaswami
The BJP has struck the battered Congress, which is yet to recover from the unexpected drubbing it received at the hands of the state electorate, below the belt. This move has delivered direct blows to the esteem of the state Congress leaders, who seem to have been frustrated and turned desperate rather than being in a retaliatory mood. With the resignation of the above legislators, which have been accpeted by the assembly speaker, the total strength of the assembly has slumped to 220, with no immediate worries for the BJP with 110 legislator ensconsed safety in its seat. It has firmly saddled itself in the state now, does not depend on the support of the independent legislators who had turned kingmakers during the ministry formation.
The BJP is continuing with its luring games and there are rumours that about six to eight legislators from the Congress and the JD (S) are ready to hop in to the BJP. Leader V Somanna and Yamakanmaradi MLA Satish Jarkiholi from the Congress, Umesh Katti, Siddaraju and Suresh Babu from the JD (S) are the prominent MLAs who are said to be ready to fall for the BJP's bait.
The Congress and the JD (S) knew very well from the day the BJP rose to power in the state that efforts were being made by the mining lords who are BJP ministers, to woo some of their legislators into the BJP fold. They did not expect that the lords would move so fast. The Congress was hoping to floor the BJP government during the budget session, by making use of a feeling of frustration that has set in among the independent legislators who have been made ministers, by allotting insignificant portfolios. On the other hand, the BJP now does not need the support of independent legislators and the dream of the Congress and the JD (S) to forge an alliance and bring down the BJP government, have gown awry.
The BJP is now to set to expand its ministry to induct the newly-joined members into it. While J Narasimha Swami and Balachandra Jarkiholi are expected to be given ministerial berths, Anand Asnotikar and Shivanagowda Nayak may be accommodated as chairmen of corporations or boards. Those who have crossed over to the BJP will soon contest from their respective constituencies again, on a BJP ticket. Energy minister K S Eshwarappa has predicted that a few more legislators will soon shift their allegiance to his party.
The JD (S) on its part, has said that it will not be making any efforts to discourage would be defectors. It plans to launch an awareness campaign against the BJP by telling the people that the BJP is imposing a by-election on them within a couple of months of the last election, throwing ethics to the winds and causing heavy expenditure to the exchequer. Instead of being hunters, the Congress and the JD (S) now seem to have been resigned to their roles as the hunted ones.