Senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa on Friday took oath as the chief minister of Karnataka for the fourth time, hours after meeting Governor Vajubhai Vala to stake claim. The last time Yediyurappa took over the reigns in May 2018, his government lasted for only two days. He could not prove his majority and quit ahead of the floor test.
This time however the ground situation remains as bleak as that of 2018 for him. While the number improbability hangs in the background, the chief minister has tried his luck with a numerologist for a change. Yediyurappa has now tweaked his name, dropping one ‘d’ and replacing it with an ‘I’. For better luck, Yediyurappa it is.
What’s in a name? Keeping aside the numerology attached to it, Yedi’s job is going to be far from easy this time too. He faces a crucial trial of strength of Monday. With three Congress MLAs disqualified and the status of the 15 rebel MLAs unknown, the field could still be wide open.
If Yedi sails through the half-way mark of 104, his next test would be coming very soon. Within a period of six months, the MLAs who quit will face a by-poll and that could once again change the dynamics of Karnataka politics. In the interim, the six months could prove to be tumultuous since the rebels will be high on expectations. If Yedi fails to deliver on the promises made, the BJP government could crumble under its own weight even before the by-polls. Kumaraswamy meeting senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy indicates that all is not yet over for the combine.
On the flip side, the Congress leadership has admitted that the alliance was shaky. Outgoing party president Rahul Gandhi tweeted “From its first day, the Cong-JDS alliance in Karnataka was a target for vested interests, both within and outside, they saw the alliance as a threat and an obstacle in their path to power. Their greed won today. Democracy, honesty and the people of Karnataka lost.”
The Congress went into a meek surrender and despite the Karnataka ‘nataka’ playing out for over two weeks, the party failed to break ice with the rebels. Playing the victim card is not going to get Congress the sympathy. Neither is Priyanka Gandhi’s message asking citizens to endure “BJP’s unbridled corruption” going to inspire.
The BJP juggernaut is moving at a ruthless pace. There is no space for any soft political posturing in this macabre political plot. The Central leadership crisis has hurt the party in Karnataka too, and it’s showing.
The Karnataka political script, interestingly, runs almost parallel to Goa’s. In pursuit of placing themselves better, legislators have taken the leap. In Goa, MLAs have managed to circumvent the anti-defection law and have used the two-third rule to their advantage. In Karnataka, there is a mass exodus of MLAs clearly aimed at bringing down the strength of the coalition government. In both scenarios the objective remains the same.
