After its shock defeat in Haryana, a mellowed-down Congress leadership would be more accommodative of its INDIA bloc allies in Maharashtra. While they will be looking to make all-out efforts to take on the BJP-led alliance, the latest developments in Karnataka could further dampen their spirits as the central agency steps up its probe into high-profile cases against Congress leaders.
The Enforcement Directorate’s surprise raids on the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) office on Friday indicate that the developments in the next few days could weigh heavily on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his government. The MUDA is at the centre of the high-profile case allotting 14 sites in an upmarket locality in Mysuru to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathy. She recently returned the sites to MUDA, but the case continues.
Some top officials in the state government feel that in the next few weeks, the central agency is likely to speed up ongoing probes in the MUDA case and the multi-crore irregularities in the Maharishi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation (MVSTDC). Interestingly, that coincides with electioneering gathering pace in the neighbouring state.
In the MUDA case, serious allegations were made against the CM, his family members, and others, while in the MVSTDC scam, a former minister and senior officials were arrested. In the latter, funds meant for the welfare of the scheduled tribes were illegally diverted to private accounts and allegedly used in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The government has claimed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has recovered Rs 71.54 crore that was diverted, and it would recover the remaining Rs 13 crore as well. The SIT and the ED are parallelly investigating the case. Perhaps, the central agency’s probe makes those in power in the state apprehensive.
The developments in these cases would certainly trouble Congress central leaders, who would have otherwise projected the “Karnataka model” of governance and its guarantee schemes in the Maharashtra polls.
However, these issues may not have a direct impact on voters in the neighboring states. At best, they may resonate to a limited extent among the people in the constituencies that share borders with Karnataka or have a significant presence of Kannadigas settled in Maharashtra.
Its stupendous victory in the 2023 assembly polls in Karnataka gave a big boost to the Grand Old Party which had almost lost the art of winning polls and morale among its cadre had hit rock bottom. Karnataka gave that booster dose. In the ensuing assembly polls as well as the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, the Congress portrayed its Karnataka model of governance to woo voters.
However, after the high-profile cases, the party will be cautious in employing the same tactics as that could prove counter-productive. In fact, during the Haryana elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the MUDA sites allotment case against the CM to slam Congress.
The PM’s remarks had invited a sharp rebuttal from Siddaramaiah. “Don’t fire shots from afar, Mr. Modi. If you’re ready for a direct debate, I am always ready,” the angry CM had hit back at the PM for his remarks during the elections in the North Indian state.
Now, more and more such shots are likely to be fired, not from afar, but during the intensely fought polls in neighboring Maharashtra. The BJP is likely to use developments in Karnataka to put the Congress central leaders on the defensive. The BJP’s top leaders will play up the MUDA and ST Corporation cases, especially during the rallies in the border districts.
BJP leaders from Karnataka have been deputed in 58 assembly segments, which either share the border with Karnataka or have a significant presence of Kannadigas. Many of them have been working on the ground for a month and they will all be stationed in their respective constituencies from next week.
Not just BJP, even many senior leaders from the state Congress have also been deputed for election duty in Maharashtra.
While the investigation in both cases is likely to enter a crucial phase, many wonder why the Chief Minister has not yet appealed against the High Court judgment. The High Court, while dismissing his plea questioning the Governor’s decision to accord permission for prosecution, had made many scathing remarks against the CM.
As the ED reaches his home district, it is interesting to see how Siddaramaiah responds to the developments in the case as well as the BJP’s strategy to target him to put Congress on the defensive.