Dear Editor,
The BJP must not think of the Karnataka type of experiment in the Assembly elections due to be held in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhatisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram. BJP suffered jolt in Karnataka due to freebies announced by the Congress, BJP ushering in new faces to contest the elections without considering the win ability of the candidates, shifting of loyalty by the Lingayat communities from BJP to Congress since main Lingayat leaders like B.S. Yediyurappa and Jagadish Shettar were sidelined, meek submission to the propaganda unleashed by Congress concerning “40 per cent commission” charge against former minister K.S. Eshwarappa and a “Lakshman Rekha” drawn by party itself not to allow the candidates crossing the age of 75 years to contest. Leaders in verge of attaining 75 years naturally feel that they have no future in the party. As such the thought of crossing over to a party where there is no age bar crosses the mind. With this, leaders and their followers start flocking to a party where no ‘retirement age’ has been announced. Yediyurappa could not thrive by forming his own party called Karnataka Janata Party. Jagadish Shettar has been dumped because he lost the Assembly election and Lakshman Saudi is in no better position than Shettar in terms of the position given to him even though he won the election. Congress knows that Shettar and Saudi are spent forces and their utility to the party is minimal. Politicians in the evening of their political career are like aged patients not effectively responding to the medicine in times of illness. Loss of power and position to the deserted leaders in the new party is not the gain of the old party. The damage has been suffered and it cannot be undone. BJP needs to learn lesson from its failed experiment in Karnataka. At least, BJP must do its best to retain Madhya Pradesh and bag Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Mizoram National Front (MNF) in Mizoram, Congress in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and BRS in Telangana are the ruling parties. Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan are vulnerable for BJP. BJP and Congress are locked in straight fights in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. BRS has its hegemony in Telangana. In Mizoram and Telangana, BJP must strive hard to improve its seats tally and try to make large inroads in terms of seats and votes tally. Any attempt to suddenly change the face of BJP in the election-bound states would boomerang like it happened in Karnataka.
K.V. Seetharamaiah
