Promises of politicians are like promises of lovers. They are intended for securing short - term gain, not for everlasting bonding. There is a commonality in politics and love — once the goal is achieved, promise is thrown to the winds. Rare exceptions are there, of course. After all, politics, like love, is an art, fine art of possibilities. Trying one's luck! Ask any politician who has changed parties, founded a party and a lover who has many conquests. This kind of promise was made by D. V. Sadananda Gowda, present BJP Chief Minister, it is said, at the time of the discussion at the BJP High Command to select a successor to B. S. Yeddyurappa, who was asked to resign following his name being mentioned in the Lokayuktha's report on the mining scam. Later, the Governor too added to Yeddyurappa's misery by allowing his prosecution in a private complaint relating to land denotification which sent him to jail for 25 days as the Lokayukta Judge decided it was jail for the accused, not bail.
Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari, the BJP honchos, were never tired of saying that what Yeddyurappa did could at best be unethical but not illegal. What is not illegal should not invite prosecution, much less jail in the first instance itself. But that is an argument in defence of any accused. Let it be.
1) Yeddyurappa 2) Siddharamaiah 3) Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O. Panneer Selvam with J. Jayalalithaa.
There were many contenders for the CM's gaddi when Yeddyurappa was dethroned. Top of the list was another Lingayath Jagadish Shettar, a Vokkaliga (Gowda) R. Ashok, a Brahmin V.S. Acharya and another Brahmin — how can we forget him — Ananth Kumar. However, when the High Command extended the courtesy of asking Yeddyurappa his choice, it was reported, he chose his time - tested loyal friend of many years Dr. V. S. Acharya. However, when the caste equation was worked out it did not work. It was then that another close ally of Yeddyurappa was chosen — D. V. Sadananda Gowda. The promise was that he would step down once Yeddyurappa is free of court cases. Now that Yeddyurappa has got the bail, he and his supporters say he must be reinstated as the Chief Minister. However, the High Command does not think so. It says, let Yeddyurappa come clean from the court — acquitted. Yeddyurappa retorts, knowing our courts, which it would take many year — 20 years. “Should I wait that long”, he asks.
There are examples of many Central and State Ministers having cases pending in courts, out on bail and holding Ministerial office, forming new political parties, winning a few seats and even forming coalition governments. Take the case of Sukh Ram, former Union Telecom Minister in 1996 and J. Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu among others.
But the BJP High Command seems to behave like Julius Caesar, who said of his wife in great moral flourish: Caesar's wife must be above reproach. A Sri Rama of a High Command. Reason: “When we are fighting a corrupt government at the Centre ...” This comes from the mouth of a High Command which did not back the Congress (UPA) to pass the Lokpal Bill — whatever may be the reasons for it. It should have realised, in the case of Karnataka and Yeddyurappa, what's sauce for the goose need not be sauce for the gander. After all, it is politics. Inner - party ethics and rules change in order to take a pragmatic approach to win elections.
And politics is all about winning an election — by hook or crook as we are presently witnessing in UP and other four States where election campaign is going on. This is one of the reasons why Anna Hazare is not getting the wholehearted support of political parties. And the BJP taking the Lokpal row to the President of India Pratibha Patil in a delegation led by L. K. Advani and Co., seems a mockery. The BJP should ask itself why the government (UPA) avoided a vote on Lokpal and not complain to the grandmother like a petulant child after creating some mischief.
The question many politically knowledgeable people are asking in Karnataka but not carried in the media for whatever reason is: If Jayalalithaa could lose her office as CM after a conviction by the court and come back later after about six months when the Supreme Court overturned her conviction, why not Yeddyurappa?
In this case, O. Panneer Selvam, the PWD Minister hailing from an important major Devar community was sworn - in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in September 2001 after the appointment of the then CM and AIADMK Party Chief J. Jayalalithaa was quashed by the Supreme Court. Panneer Selvam's appointment was only a stop - gap arrangement. Similarly that of D. V. Sadananda Gowda, says Yeddyurappa.
However, in March 2002 Panneer Selvam resigned as CM and Jayalalithaa was sworn - in after the Supreme Court overturned her conviction and she won a by - election from Andipatti Assembly constituency. In a similar, if not the same manner, Yeddyurappa says, D. V. Sadananda Gowda too should have resigned and the High Command should have reinstated him (Yeddyurappa) as the CM. However, this is not to be as reports emanating from the BJP High Command and the supporters of Sadananda Gowda clearly indicate.
The question now is: What next?
About one year back, I went to Siddharamaiah's house in Mysore to invite him for my son's wedding. He was holding his durbar but on my arrival the room was cleared but for his aide. As usual, our conversation was platitude and I spoke intuitively about his political future. I said, in Karnataka I had seen since 1978 whosoever dreamt of becoming Chief Minister had realised their dreams. Surprisingly, before they became Chief Ministers, some were Deputy Chief Ministers. I shot off a few names like that of Bangarappa, Veerappa Moily and S. M. Krishna. And since Siddharamaiah too had been dreaming of becoming the Chief Minister and had even been Deputy Chief Minister, I told him, he too might become the Chief Minister. I was not flattering him, for, after all, I had nothing to gain from him. He merely smiled. And he did attend the wedding.
Now I hear that in view of the political uncertainty both Yeddyurappa and Siddharamaiah are facing in their respective parties, a move is afoot to bring Yeddyurappa and Siddharamaiah together under the banner of the almost defunct JD (U) in the State and fight the next Assembly election. Considering the community to which they belong, their coming together might turn out be an unbeatable combination for BJP, Congress and the JD (S) in the State.
But for now, let us wait and see what message Siddharamaiah will bring from his Australia and New Zealand jaunt.
K. B. Ganapathy
Editor in Chief
Courtesy: Star of Mysore
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