BENGALURU: Not willing to give any time for the coalition government to settle down, the Opposition BJP is going ahead with its decision to call for a Karnataka bandh on Monday. The party will hold protests in all the district headquarters in the state on Monday demanding that the government announce farm-loan waiver. The bandh will be observed throughout the state except in Bengaluru.
While launching a tirade against CM H D Kumaraswamy and his party in the Assembly on Friday, Opposition leader B S Yeddyurappa gave a call for Karnataka bandh demanding that the CM to announce waiver of farm loans. “The decision has been taken in the party meeting to go ahead with the bandh. In its manifesto, the JD(S) had announced that it would waive farm loan within 24 hours after coming to power and we are only demanding them to do the same,” former CM and senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar said. Though Kumaraswamy had clarified that he is not going back on the promise and a decision will be taken after consulting the coalition partner Congress, BJP seems to be keen on putting the government on the mat from day one.
“Never has the difference between the ruling parties and Opposition been so small. They want to capitalise on key agenda of the JD(S) and corner the party on the same issue,” political analyst Prof Sandeep Shastri said. Going by Yeddyurappa’s speech in the Assembly, it is clear that the BJP will continue to target JD(S). “He realises that he cannot take on both simultaneously and is very strategically choosing his principle enemy. He is clearly targeting JD(S), which is more vulnerable. He believes targeting JD(S) will get them public support,” he added. However, political analyst from Mysuru Prof Muzaffar Assadi said that though the BJP leader was targeting JD(S) and was soft on Congress, he was trying to bring a wedge between the coalition partners.