A difficult road ahead for Kumaraswamy

It’s the first anniversary of the JD(S)-BJP government in Karnataka, but more than celebrations it’s time that those in power look back at the year which was marked more by controversies and scams rather than growth and development. The road ahead is all the more difficult and the stakes for the JD(S) and the BJP are too high to have a casual approach.After pulling back support from the twenty-month-old Congress government and forming his own in alliance with the BJP, Kumaraswamy could not enjoy an extended honeymoon period, and his problems began soon after coming to power. The problems for the first time Chief Minister Kumaraswamy were not limited to one front, rather surrounded him on various fronts making things difficult for him. While JD (S) national president and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda’s displeasure at his son’s breaking up alliance with the Congress and forming a government with the BJP has now started to appear a mere eyewash, what isn’t unreal is the divisions in the JD(S). The rift in the party came out in open when a section of the party led by Lok Sabha member MP Veerendrakumar removed Deve Gowda as party president and chose veteran leader Surendra Mohan in his place. Though later, at another national executive meet, the suspension of Deve Gowda was revoked and Surendra Mohan was suspended from the party, the divisions only widened. The relation between JD(S) and BJP is also not going through the best possible phase. Within weeks of taking charge of power, BJP started complaining that its partymen were being neglected. While that issue was about to settle, BJP MLC Janardhan Reddy alleged that Chief Minister Kumaraswamy along with two other Cabinet Ministers Chenigappa and M P Prakash took Rs 150 crore bribe from mine owners in Bellary. Though Reddy was suspended by BJP for trying to jeopardise the government, the damage was done. On the issue of BMIC project also, the coalition partners found it difficult to come to a consensus for a long time. While, JD(S) accused Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) of grabbing excess agricultural land in the garb of making the express highway project (BMIC), and wanted to pass a law to take over the project from the company, the saffron party was of the view that farmers’ land should be returned but the company be allowed to continue with the project. Gradually the dispute started appearing to be over, though not in toto. The rift between BJP and JD(S) is not limited to one or two issues, rather a host of them. But, the division does not seem to threaten the government, considering the high stakes that the two parties have in the success of the government. While Kumaraswamy is enjoying his first stint as CM and would like to leave the post on a positive note, the BJP has done a lot to be in power in Karnataka, as it considers the state to be a gateway to South India. This is the first time BJP has come to power in any southern state and, the BJP leader Yediyurappa cannot risk his chances of enjoying the post of Chief Minister, which is due in another eight month according to the power sharing agreement between the two parties. The difficulty for Kumaraswamy lies in protecting the secular credentials of his government and the party. While JD(S) refused to form an alliance with BJP in 2004 calling it ‘communal’, last year party leader Kumarswamy shook hands with the saffron party to form his own government. A BJP leader in September last made a remark on Tipu Sultan calling him anti-Kannada. The minister’s remark came under attack not only from Congress but also from the members of the Muslim community. The communal clashes in Mangalore around Dushehra time and Kumaraswamy’s failure to attend an Eid prayer function leading to the resignation of Wakf and Haj Committee Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan will only make it appear that the so-called ‘secular’ JD(S) is paying the price for partnering with BJP. More recently, the Bangalore violence has raised a big question on the secular credentials of the party and may begin to threaten the important “S” factor of Janata Dal (Secular). Besides inter party and intra-party politics, the government would also have to deal firmly with plethora of issues concerning the state, including- terrorism, infrastructure development, boundary and water disputes. Merely changing the name of the capital from ‘Bangalore’ to ‘Bengalooru’ is not going to help the alliance in any substantial manner. After all, a government is rated not on how well it manages the coalition or party disputes but the developmental works undertaken. Surely, the road ahead is not an easy one!