JDS keeps BJP & Congress on their toes
Last week former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy made a startling revelation. The Janata Dal (Secular) leader claimed that some BJP and Congress leaders contacted him, but he is not inclined to join hands with anyone and is confident of getting a full majority to form the next government in the state.
Whether the JDS gets a majority or if the national parties will again knock at its leaders’ door to form an alliance will be known on May 13 when the results of the assembly elections will be announced.
But, for now, the national parties that are fighting the 2023 assembly polls with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections cannot afford to ignore the regional party, as they give a final touch-up to their campaign strategies and finalize their candidates. In some segments, JDS will offer a viable platform to leaders who fail to get tickets in the national parties.
Nearly 30 years after the party got a full majority under Deve Gowda’s leadership in 1994, the JDS is now fighting for its survival. As its rivals are pulling all stops to strengthen their base in the Old Mysuru region, the regional party is fighting the elections with a new-found enthusiasm. Kumaraswamy seems to be trying hard to keep the morale high. If one goes by the response to his “Pancharatna Yatra”, which completed 100 days last week, it looks like the regional party is in the game.
Kumaraswamy, who is the party’s CM face, is in full control of the party. He got a headstart in announcing the party programmes and the first list of candidates.
The party is banking on the Gowda family’s sway over the dominant Vokkaliga community, goodwill gained among the farming community over Kumaraswamy’s decision to waive farm loans, and the “Pancharatna” programmes for education, health, agriculture, housing, and women empowerment. It is also trying to woo minority voters and aggressively take to issues related to Kannada. The JDS leadership also reached out to Telangana and West Bengal Chief Ministers seeking their support and cooperation in the fight against BJP and Congress.
On the flip side, its leaders are deserting the party in droves. Basavaraj Horatti, Chairman of the Legislative Council; A T Ramaswamy, four-time MLA from Arkalgud in Hassan; S R Srinivas, former minister and MLA; YSV Datta, staunch Gowda loyalist for many decades; and many other leaders left the party recently. Some joined Congress and others BJP.
The JDS faces criticism for being a family-centric party. Former Minister HD Revanna’s demand for the party ticket to his wife Bhavani Revanna to contest from Hassan brought that debate to the fore. The issue is yet to be resolved, and Kumaraswamy is said to be keen on giving the ticket to a party worker to send a message to the cadre.
Although its leaders talk about winning 123 seats, the party is said to have identified over 80 constituencies with the best chances of winning them. While most of the JDS seats come from South Karnataka, the party is hoping to win some seats in North Karnataka.
For BJP and Congress, the top priority will be to come to power on their strength. If not, the next best strategy will be to keep the rival national party away from power. In the second scenario, the JDS would be the only option for both national parties. At the same time, the BJP and Congress will be wary of the regional party’s potential to damage their prospects.
For now, the BJP camp is busy finalizing its candidates, using all resources at its command to overcome anti-incumbency to return to power. Getting the candidates’ selection process right will be among the factors that will decide the party prospects at the hustings.
The Congress which peaked a little early is still struggling to finalize its second list of candidates and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s contest for the second seat. In the first list, it is decided that he will contest from the Varuna segment in Mysuru, considered to be a safe seat, but the discussion on Kolar is still on. Former AICC president Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit Kolar on April 9 to launch the party’s Jai Bharat campaign. It is not clear if that would have much of an impact as the party depends mostly on its local leaders.
Karnataka’s political scenario is slightly different from that of most other states. Here, the BJP grew more at the expense of the anti-Congress parties. But, the regional party that retains its support base in nearly one-third of the state has made the fight difficult for the national parties. In a way, the 2023 assembly results will also be a verdict on the future of the regional party in Karnataka.
Ramu Patil
Associate Editor
ramu@ newindianexpress.com