Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai presented a farmer-friendly budget of Rs 3.09 lakh crore, peppering it with interest-free short-term loans to the community, subsidies, sops and a host of other schemes. Bommai has also set aside Rs 1000 crore for the Kalasa-Bhandura water diversion project, assuring people of speedy action for implementation of the project, and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government for approving the revised Detailed Project Reports.
While budgetary allocation does not mean anything to Goa, the political connotations given by leaders in their speeches, both in Karnataka and the Centre, give a clear indication that there is a tearing hurry to see the project through ahead of the Karnataka elections slated for early 2024.
The tone of Bommai's speech was suggestive of a hurry, and the BJP leaders have been echoing similar sentiments. Incidentally, in January, Union Home Minister Amit Shah took everyone by surprise in Goa when he mentioned that the BJP managed to resolve the contentious Mhadei water dispute in consultation with the Goa government. His statement left State leaders speechless and embarrassed even as the Goa government drew up battle lines in the Supreme Court.
It is clear that the BJP in Karnataka is making an all-out effort to win the farmers' confidence in north Karnataka, especially in Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot and Gadag. The budgetary allocation indicates that the BJP will not leave any stone unturned in this mission, and they have already begun to move men and machinery towards the project.
The spotlight shifts entirely to Karnataka. In a short while, the State will swing into election mode, drawing leaders from across States to campaign for the party. It is here that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will face an actual test of character.
More than being a BJP leader, Sawant heads the State and represents its people. He is duty-bound and morally obliged to serve Goa's people in the best possible way. Sharing a platform with Bommai in Karnataka and raising an electoral pitch could send conflicting signals back home against the backdrop of Sawant's promise to fight for every drop of Mhadei water.
It is to be seen how the CM wades through this terrain, especially when leaders in Karnataka are lined up to go gaga over getting the Mhadei water to the northern Karnataka belt. The CM has held his ground so far despite the roaring Opposition in the background, but the way forward could be tricky and challenging because there would be no middle road between batting for the BJP in Karnataka and fighting for Goa's cause.
While Karnataka's brains are at work on getting forest clearances that remain the only thread of hope for Goa now, and with the next hearing in Supreme Court scheduled for July, all attention would be focused on Sawant as he walks the tightrope and juggles with party work and his duty towards the State. Time will tell.
