DNA Edit: Kumaraswamy’s political games will hurt Cong in ’19

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s tears should be taken with a pinch of salt. The Chief Minister, who has continuously expressed his anguish at being ‘powerless’ in the Congress-JD(S) coalition, is actually busy playing politics by doling out sop after sop to the voter and thus winning their gratitude. The logic is that the majority of the seats will go to the JD(S) during the Lok Sabha polls, and the party will possibly benefit from a fractured mandate. There is even talk that Kumaraswamy’s father, HD Deve Gowda, may be even looking to be the prime minister, in case of a fractured mandate. None of Kumaraswamy’s and the JD(S)’s plans can come to fruition with a smooth working relationship with the Congress in the state. To emerge as a ‘hero’,  Kumaraswamy needs to show up the Congress. 

Of course, the Congress, too, was not shy of doling out sops to remain in power. In this regard, Kumaraswamy has done his best to sideline or render ineffective sops awarded by his coalition partner. Recently, he reduced the quantity of free rice supplied under Siddaramaiah’s pet Anna Bhagya scheme, leaving the Congress furious, but helpless. Kumaraswamy’s actions make a mockery of Rahul Gandhi’s vision of Opposition parties fighting the BJP under the umbrella of a ‘united front’ in 2019. Both the Congress and JD(S) have similar vote banks in Karnataka, and obviously state Congress leaders do not care about the national picture. Also, with the Congress repeatedly rushing to assure its partner that ‘all is well’, every time Kumaraswamy throws a tantrum, it has only emboldened him to push his luck further. 

Now, it has reached a stage where the JD(S) seems confident that the Congress will stay with them no matter what, and slowly the party is putting its plans for 2019 into action. The Congress does not seem to realise that behaving like a junior partner in the coalition leads to dangers of political irrelevance in the state. In this regard, it could take a look at the BJP, who were happy to junk the PDP and call for Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP’s move gave out the message that they were not desperate to hang on to power at any cost. Today, the scenario is such that the saffron party could very well make up the numbers to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir, leaving former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti helpless. By assuaging Kumaraswamy each time, the Congress is in danger of facing the PDP’s fate in Karnataka. Politics is determined by self interest and most regional parties go with what suits them best. As of now, since Kumaraswamy has assured power because of the Congress, he is able to emerge as Karnataka’s ‘hero’, because of the sops he is doling out. In return, Rahul Gandhi has got nothing to show for himself or his party.