In Karnataka, an Opposition ridden with factions

As the new dispensation led by D.K. Shivakumar completes one month in office in Karnataka, there is a feeling that the faction-ridden principal Opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is unable to match the “no holds barred” functioning style of the new Chief Minister.

The BJP was hoping to cash in on the heartburn and dissidence in the ruling Congress that would follow a change of guard. But though there were disgruntlements, they are yet to snowball into dissidence as the leadership change in the Congress was a relatively smooth affair.

And just when the BJP started realising that it had been robbed of a political opportunity, there came the biennial elections to the Legislative Council. The BJP and its alliance partner Janata Dal (S) fielded an additional candidate though they were marginally short of the required numbers to ensure his victory. However, the results shocked the alliance partners. Much against their plans of eating into Congress votes, an estimated 11 members from their own camp had voted in favour of the Congress, causing huge embarrassment.

A shocking cross-vote

The alliance partners are of the view that of the 11 cross voters, four were from the BJP. But a fact-finding committee of the party that looked into the issue could not identify who these MLAs actually were, as the polling was via a secret ballot system. This episode of cross-voting not only exposed the chinks in the BJP’s armour, it also gave the new Chief Minister his first political victory.

This was highly discouraging for the BJP as it intensified suspicion and mistrust in the party that was already gripped by groupism. Instead of focusing on exposing political and administrative shortcomings of the new dispensation, the BJP State unit was busy trying to set its own house in order as the rival groups in the party started blaming each other for the cross-voting.

Things came to such a head that the BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra even announced his intention to hold a legislature party meeting in the pilgrimage centre of Dharmasthala for an informal “truth test”. Though it was cancelled through the intervention of some senior leaders of the party, it left a bitter taste among the cadre.

State leaders of the party then held a meeting on the cross-voting issue with central leaders who advised them to focus on strengthening State organisation. However, this has not stopped groupism and the trend of publicly criticising party colleagues. Just recently, Yelahanka MLA S. R. Vishwanath and Chikkaballapura MP K. Sudhakar provided fodder for the media by indulging in a public spat. Later, party leaders confirmed that both the leaders have agreed to patch up and that the state core committee, which is the highest decision-making body, will deal with any such indiscipline in a stern manner. However, the party cadre is worried that its efforts to counter the new dispensation over various contentious issues is not turning out to be effective due to mistrust within the party.

Issues galore

Currently, the BJP has raised the issue of an alleged procedural violation in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls by stating that it is being held in community halls instead of being done through door-to-door visits. Other important issues include the delayed and deficient monsoon that has threatened to affect agriculture and the drinking water situation, as well as the political conflict that has unfolded over the acquisition of vast tracts of farm lands in Bidadi, near Bengaluru. This is in addition to the alleged irregularities in implementing the Gruha Lakshmi scheme.

Above all, is the issue regarding the delay in ministerial expansion. Thus, though there is no dearth of issues before the BJP as an Opposition party, it is clear that the party cannot put up an effective fight when it is ridden with mistrust and groupism.

With less than two years left for the next Assembly polls, party cadre are eagerly looking towards the central leadership to set the State unit in order. They are hoping that the party high command would take measures to not only set the house in order, but also ensure better co-ordination between the coalition partners in order to instil confidence among the leaders, cadre and supporters well ahead of the next Assembly polls scheduled in 2028.