Of BJP, scams and linguistic pride

Ever since BJP formed its first government in south India in 2008 breaching the gateway and entering into the peninsular zone of the country, the politics in Karnataka has seen various twists and turns. The then BJP supremo L K Advani had hailed the ascent of the saffron party, when it formed a coalition government in 2006, as the first major step for its pan-Indian expansion. Of course, all that the party managed to achieve in the north-eastern parts of India and the impressive traction it managed in the eastern states of Bihar and Bengal were still years away.

Nearly two decades later, with having a multitude of Chief Ministers running the state government over the next 15 years, the party is still battling age-old issues related to caste politics and nepotism, with dissidence an open epidemic plaguing it. The pressure points encountered by the local leadership are so many that they are unable to put up a coordinated fight against the Congress government, which made an impressive return to power two years ago.

As only as one can expect the GOP to do, the present government headed by Siddaramaiah with his deputy D K Shivakumar have muddled around, seen its guarantee schemes stretch the resources of the already-bleeding State and grappling with a series of caste and communal issues, which keeps surfacing at the most inappropriate of times.

Yet, with the Delhi high command seemingly indifferent and inattentive to the squabbles breaking out into the open, the local BJP unit, headed by B Y Vijayendra, derisively called the ‘nepo kid’ by the now-suspended party leader B S Yatnal is yet to make a solid impression, if seasoned observers of the party are to be taken seriously.

In a long time, there could not have been a better scenario than what is existing of present in the capital city and elsewhere for them as the principal Opposition party to exploit and push home the advantage. The turf war between the CM and his deputy is out in the open, the caste census is shaking up the delicate calculations with which the party has managed to stay afloat, the communal temperature is just about under control and then there are many scams bursting out into the open day in and day out.

With the MUDA scam still not totally absolving the CM yet and the recent ones linked to the ‘commission raj’ where the current government is mocked as being a ’60-per cent sarkar’, the ruling party should have been on the defensive. Yet, the bravado and the body language of its leaders seems defiant, making the Opposition rethink its counterattacks.

If at all there is a dramatic turn of events, it seems as of now that it should be the handiwork of the power blocs working at cross purposes within the Congress, rather than the BJP pushing them into a corner. As long as the second-in-command D K Shivakumar makes threatening noises, it should be a cause of comfort for the BJP but not effective enough for them to step in and checkmate the ruling dispensation.

South India has been an elusive catch for the Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan party and Karnataka with its renewed attempt at linguistic pride can make the central BJP leaders wonder what next can they do to keep themselves in the fray. A series of incidents where non-Kannadigas have indulged in violence against the locals has not helped the cause any further, making the local public feel their support would be for those who uphold their culture and mother tongue much more than anyone else.