Omkar Dattatray
The assembly poll results are as per the poll surveys and exit polls as all have predicted the win of the congress inspite of the close, neck to neck contest between the ruling BJP and its arch rival Congress. In fact congress has won the crucial state assembly election and defeated the incumbent BJP. Congress has made a comeback as it is alternatively that the BJP and congress control the levers of power at Bangalore and rule the state. This time it was the turn of Congress to win the elections which it did. The Congress has won the comfortable majority in the assembly elections in Karnataka and has made the BJP to lick the dust by winning 135 seats and the BJP had to contend with merely 65 seats. But despite the emphatic win of the Congress, the grand old party is losing as it is unable to choose its chief minister and form the government. Thus despite winning a comfortable majority, it is miserably failing to name the chief minister. There is factionalism, groupism, lobbying, and indiscipline in the state Congress Party and there is chaos, confusion and suspicion about the name of the Congress, MLA to head the government.
The State Congress and the Congress High Command are both in a fix and confusion to nominate the chief minister of the state. The Congress has not still held the meeting of Congress legislature party meeting to name the chief minister. This is the history of the Congress. The Congress needs to learn from the BJP as to how the saffron party has in the past nominated its chief ministers in several states where more or less similar confusion was seen. See how in Maharashtra the BJP has given the government to Shiv Sena MLA Eaknath Shinde instead of nominating its former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Not only in Maharashtra but in many states the problem of selecting and choosing the chief ministers have been settled by the BJP amicably. It is unfortunate that Karnataka congress is not able name its chief minister. The battle of choosing the chief minister has shifted to the New Delhi as congress president Kharge who was camping in Karnataka to settle the issue of nominating the chief minister returned back to the national capital There is intense lobbying at both New Delhi and Karnataka but still the congress is not in a position to choose the chief minister. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President D.K Shiv Kumar and former Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah are the two main contenders for the top post and both of these are important for the congress and the high command does not like to displease any one of them. Both of these two candidates does not want to give the coveted post to the other and both does not like to sacrifice for the other and thus there is suspense, confusion and stalemate in choosing the name for the chief ministers post. Both D.K Shiv Kumar and Siddaramaiah have went to Delhi to get favors but still there has been no headway in nominating the chief minister, with the result Congress is unable to nominate the chief minister despite having a clear and empathetic majority. There is such intense infighting and lobbying in the Karnataka congress that it seems that even after anointing the chief minister it remains uncertain how long will congress government last. Karnataka Congress leaves CM decision to party high command. Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge had appointed Sushil Kumar Shinde, Jitendra Singh and Deepak Babaria as the observers for the legislature party meet.
The Congress legislature party unanimously resolved that AICC president would be authorized to appoint its new leader.
However they were unable to arrive at a decision on who should be the next chief minister.
Most legislators said that they would abide by the decision of the party high command – a euphemism for Gandhis -Sonia and Rahul.
There are several contenders for the post including two key ones – former CM Siddaramaiah and KPCC president DK Shiv Kumar. The latter aged 60, is a Vokalinga leader who has been elected for the eight consecutive term. Unlike 75 year old Siddaramaiaha who started his politics in Janta Parivar on an congress platform.
Shiv Kumar is famously known for his troubleshooting abilities and has stayed loyal to Congress, but is embroiled in corruption – related cases. However, Siddaramaiah who joined Congress in 2006 is a powerful Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, OBC’S and Dalits) leader enjoys mass popularity. He ran a full five – year term Congress government as CM between 2013 and 2018 and is seen the frontrunner between the two. Besides the name of MB Patil, a former home minister and a Lingayat, as well as Dalit leaders G Parameshwara and Priyanka Kharge have been aired as possible contenders. Several proposals, including serving as CM by rotation for 30 months each between Shivkumar and Siddaramaiah are being floted.Apart from that ,there is a proposal to have the four deputy CM’s – one each from Lingayat, Volkalinga, OBC/Dalit and Muslim communities depending on which community gets the chief ministership. The party high command is likely to take a final call after the observers submit their report. It is hoped that the uncertainty and suspicion as well as the confusion will come to an end and a new leader of Congress legislature will be appointed very soon to end the stalemate and deadlock about the appointment of the chief minister and the new congress government will be formed in a day or two days so that the tag and stigma of the congress loosing despite a comfortable win in the Karnataka assembly elections. It is hoped that good news will come from Delhi and a chief minister will be nominated by the high command and the crisis will soon come to end.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist).
