I do not know if there is God in some form who is interested in human affairs. However, when I saw B. S. Yeddyurappa sworn - in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on his own right and with the requisite majority of his own party MLAs (no matter, three short was soon cobbled up), I started getting a feeling that after all there might be a God who is watching the human affairs. Like the Big Brother of Communist Russia.

I am talking about what happened to Yeddyurappa, who supported, with his party MLAs, H. D. Kumaraswamy of JD (S), thus helping him topple the Dharam Singh - led Congress – JD (S) coalition government and become the Chief Minister. The understanding was that for the first 20 months H. D. Kumaraswamy would be the Chief Minister and thereafter he would pass on the baton of Chief Ministership to B. S. Yeddyurappa.

For 20 long months Kumaraswamy enjoyed Chief Ministership with Yeddyurappa as his deputy. But, when the time came to pass on the baton, Kumaraswamy suddenly turned cold-feet (became a turncoat) appearing to be an obedient son of his father, the JD (S) National President, H. D. Deve Gowda. Ironically, the same Kumaraswamy was a prodigal son just 20 months ago. Maybe, his father might have feigned offence when his son Kumaraswamy was sharing the bed of political power with an "untouchable communal" party, the BJP.

Surprisingly, for some strange reason, a political Khedda operation was undertaken by this father-son duo, by which they were able to trap the BJP elephant called Yeddyurappa. This was done by first allowing Yeddyurappa to take over as Chief Minister under a contingency plan that JD (S) would join the Government if the Parliamentary party of JD (S) agreed to support the BJP - led Government for the next 20 months (the remaining period of the total term of five years). Unfortunately, Yeddyurappa trusted the JD (S) and assumed that he would get the support of JD (S) and took oath as Chief Minister only to be toppled within a matter of seven days when he faced the Assembly as per the Governor's order. It may be recalled that Yeddyurappa, upon learning that the JD (S) Parliamentary party had decided to withdraw support, resigned immediately rather than face the ignominy of defeat in the Assembly. It was on Nov. 19, 2007. It was when God laughed.

The whole of Karnataka, why, the whole of India, was shocked at the betrayal by both the JD (S) and H. D. Kumaraswamy personally. After all, it was a gentleman's understanding between Yeddyurappa and Kumaraswamy. The latter's father H. D. Deve Gowda was not at all in the picture. When somebody betrays a country it is called treason the worst kind of crime. I do not know what is the word used to describe when someone indulges in this kind of betrayal in politics. Be that as it may, soon the Governor's rule was imposed on the State preparing the ground for the Assembly elections.

During this period and during the election campaign that followed, both Congress and JD (S) were bragging that people of Karnataka would not support a "communal" party like BJP and would give BJP a "fitting reply" in the election. They kept saying that Yeddyurappa was "daydreaming" about becoming the Chief Minister of Karnataka (hagalu kanasu kanutha iddare). They were attacking the BJP, which had won 79 Assembly seats earlier in 2004 elections and had become the party with the largest number of MLAs leaving Congress in the second place with 65 and JD (S) in the third place with 58 seats.

And in the year of our Lord 2008, when election results came, the very same JD (S) leaders and also the Congresswallahs were looking for the dark recesses to hide unable to answer the questions as to who got the "fitting reply" and who was "daydreaming." Yeddyurappa formed the BJP Government on his own strength taking oath as the Chief Minister on May 30, 2008. It was then that I thought, after all, there must be a God and God must have laughed on Nov. 19, 2007 (when poor Yeddyurappa was forced to resign as CM of 7 - day wonder), for this very reason. I had once heard an evangelist saying that God usually smiles on two occasions while observing human affairs. First, when a doctor tells the patient that he will save his life. Because, doctors can only cure the disease but the life is in the hands of God. Second time, God smiles when brothers fight for their share in the landed property. Because, the land really belongs to God. Indeed when Yeddyurappa took oath as the Chief Minister for the second time, God was sending a message that it was not H.D. Kumaraswamy or his father H.D. Deve Gowda who chooses the Chief Minister but it was God himself. That was why God laughed on Nov. 19, 2007.

Even now, the Congress and JD (S) do not seem to have learnt any lessons from their past mistakes. They are not talking about the political ideology or administrative policies needed to build our State. They are not (constructively) criticising the BJP's administrative policies or lapses. They are busy criticising BJP's party affairs like Operation Kamala and the exodus seen from their parties to the ruling BJP. They fail to realise that this approach will not cut much ice with the voters at the time of elections. This was very eloquently proved during the recently held elections to the Legislative Council where all the three seats were won by the BJP, leaving Congress and its ally JD (S) high and dry. For the Congress, the worst was when its party supremo Sonia Gandhi summoned a newly - crowned KPCC President, R. V. Deshpande to her presence, apparently to answer some inconvenient questions like a recalcitrant student in front of the head mistress. So much for the Congress and JD (S) in Karnataka.

Now, the battle lines are drawn between Congress, JD (S) and BJP to fight the impending by - elections for the Assembly in eight constituencies. Here, there is no likelihood of an alliance for seat adjustment between JD (S) and Congress which is good for BJP. After all, the whole world loves the winner and the whole world, specially the world of India, seems to gravitate towards the winner at the time of elections. Therefore, one need not be surprised if BJP wins at least four out of eight seats in the ensuing by - elections, if not all. And I will not be surprised if all those marginalised or discarded senior politicians, who were once heroes but now passe, decide to subject themselves to Operation Kamala. After all, the Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had already made a statement that such persons would be recognised by giving them suitable positions.

On the evening of Nov.1, I saw one such senior political leader in P.G.R. Sindhya, who was seen with Yeddyurappa in the banquet hall of the Vidhana Soudha where the Governor and Chief Minister had hosted high-tea for the winners of the Rajyotsava Award - 2008. Later he also accompanied the Chief Minister to Sri Kanteerava Indoor Stadium where the awards function was held. What does it suggest?

Tailpiece:
Incidentally, like many paradoxes in our life in India, the awardees were given plastic bags to carry their award items like plaque, the jewel box for the gold medallion, garland and shawl when the clarion call given to the people is to discard plastic bags and use the bio-degradable paper bags or cloth bags for such purposes.