Friends and Foes

None are friends and nor are foes in politics- a time tested saying that often reverberates in the political circles is once again proved to be true. This time foes turned friends. Triangular couples in Karnataka are former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, another senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar and chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda. Now, with BJP high command expressing its desire to change the leadership in Karnataka, another round of polarization within the party is in full swing, turning friends into foes and vice-versa.

One cannot forget so easily the high drama of BS Yeddyurappa stepping down from chief minister seat ten months back on account of self-inflicted crisis. He was left with no option but to bow out for his misdeeds - the land scams, corruptions charges and favourism. He was, in fact, facing rigorous attacks from multiple corners-former chief minister and JDS leader HD Kumarswamy, the Governor HR Bharadwaj and his own party-men who had often raised the banner of revolt on monthly basis against him. While Kumaraswamy literally haunted him as nightmare by unearthing one after another land scams on weekly basis and Bharadwaj made him suffocate using his constitutional powers, his own party-men, grouped in resorts, snatched his peace by threatening to down the government. Besides, Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde put last nail in his coffin by indicting him in his final report on illegal mining. All these developments forced him to resign and also cleared his way to Parappana Agrahara central prison where he had to spend sometime.

Before quitting, he, however, had made all the preparations to install DV Sadananda Gowda, his ‘trusted’ follower who could follow his diktats and vacate the place whenever he desires to come back, in chief minister's seat. He made him swear by God to make sure that everything goes as per his plans. However, his enemies within his own party too were very much active. When he chose DV Sadananda Gowda as his successor, they disapproved his candidature and put forward Jagadish Shettar, who hails form the same powerful Lingayat community which Yeddyurappa too belongs to! Publicly annoyed BJP high command, perhaps for the first time in its history, had to go for internal election to finalize the CM candidate. And Yeddyurappa did everything under the sun and successfully defeated Sheetar and made Sadananda Gowda as the 26th chief minister of Karnataka.
Then real drama started. Everything went against Yeddyurappa’s original plans. On the one hand, the proceedings of different corruption charges against him turned hostile to him in different courts except one bail sanction and now CBI too is at his doorstep to arrest him. The party high command, citing these developments, continued to deny him any top posts, including chief minister and party president. On the other hand, his one time trusted follower, DV Sadananda Gowda who tasted the power as chief minister rejected his plea to vacate the CM seat for him! DV Sadananda Gwoda’s open disobedience has, in fact, made Yeddyurappa enraged.

And now, with the high command’s desire to change the leadership in the state, Yeddyurappa's efforts and deadline to reoccupy the chief minister's seat has proved futile, Yeddyurappa seems to have decided to give a strange twist: counter-posing Jagadish Shetter, his longtime enemy, to DV Sadananda Gowda! Yes, the efforts to extend friendship hand to his well-known foe and make him next chief minister are in full swing. Yeddyurappa’s move has attracted criticisms and opposition within his own camp, so much so that his right hand, Ms Shobha Karandlaje, the only trusted ally of him, who would certainly accompany him till the end irrespective of his gains or loss, too has expressed her dissatisfaction. Her question is simple: when friend (Sadananda Gowda) could ‘betray’ how can you believe a foe? One should not forget the fact that she had to get ousted of cabinet thanks to the rebellion of very same Jagadish Shettar!

 
But, Yeddyurappa seems to be firm. If CM post is not for me, it should not be for him also - that might have been the driving force within him.

Ten months back, Jagadish Shettar seemed to have emerged as a possible beneficiary in the clash between Yeddyurappa and his opponents and now the situation is exactly repeating in the clash between Yeddyurappa and Sadananda Gowda. He was not lucky last time as he had to take on mighty Yeddy and this time the might is backing him.

Yeddyurappa’s baking to Shettar is, of course, temporary. Both Yeddy and Shettar hail form the same Lingayat community which is most powerful and dominated in state’s politics and former doesn’t want latter, or for that matter, another leader grow in his own community. Having been viewed as sole leader of his community, he feels threatened from the possibility of leaders in future. This is the fact that has been driving him for burying such leaders in the bud. Shettar is from North Karnataka where Lingayat community is concentrated and he is viewed as the leader of the community in those parts, if not statewide. Knowing this fact, Yeddy did everything to curb his progress in all counts. He made it sure that Sheetar had no saying in the power politics in the capital by just denying him ministerial birth in the cabinet of the first BJP government in the South India. He just pushed him to Speakar’s seat. He simultaneously attacked his base in North Karnataka. He developed alternate Lingayat leaders like Basavaraj Bommai who were juniors, came from other parties and more importantly, loyal to him, as a counter-weight to Sheetar. Knowing all this, Shettar too is not in an illusion of long lasting friendship with Yeddy. He may be trying his luck, as Sadananda Gowda did!

In the final analysis, whatever decision the high command takes, it is bound to deepen the crisis in the BJP state unit as it cannot satisfy everybody. If the party really takes to the leadership change when the assembly elections are approaching, chief minister and his trusted ministers would certainly rebel. The chief minister has openly expressed his dissatisfaction over the possible move of high command. His supporters in the cabinet have already threatened with the dissolution of assembly. If the high command opts for maintaining status quo, the Yeddy camp won’t tolerate it. In either case, the deepening crisis will deepen further, which will have an adverse impact on the party in the coming assembly election.