Karnataka: ZP setback, a wake up call for Congress?

Bengaluru: The defeat of the Congress in elections to the president and vice-president posts in Mysuru, Kalaburagi and Tumakuru Zilla Panchayats has come as a wake-up call for leaders to focus on re-building the party base in stronghold across the State.

While Mysuru is the home district of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Kalaburagi and Tumakuru are hometowns of chief minister aspirants, Mr Mallikarjun Kharge and Dr G. Parameshwar.

Since the victory in the 2013 Assembly polls, party leaders were on cloud nine without bothering to take serious note of the steady resurgence of BJP and Janata Dal (S) in the districts. With just 24 months left for the next Assembly polls,  party legislators are still fighting for ministerial berths instead of strengthening the party base.

The party was humbled in the recent zilla panchayat and gram panchayat polls which indicates the sliding popularity of the CM in his home district. While the BJP has already got into poll mode, the Congress party is yet to wake up from its ‘siesta’ since the previous Assembly polls.

The CM is more worried about the implications of the Cabinet reshuffle and seems to have little time to set right the party in his own backyard. The alliance of BJP and JD(S) to grab power in many zilla panchayats should have been served as a warning bell for the Congress.

Unfortunately, the party is riddled by internal bickering over the proposed Cabinet reshuffle. Anti-incumbency has already set in across the state with no sign of development.

Mr Siddaramaiah's charisma is waning in his home turf, Mysuru and he seems more interested in retaining his seat than building the party image, said sources. The arrogance of power has afflicted many leaders, who were more interested in protecting their interests than restoring the party's image.

"It is a dangerous trend. With this attitude, it is not possible for the Congress to retain power." The leader said that KPCC president, Dr G Parameshwar who holds the home portfolio and is in-charge of Chikkamagaluru district, has no time to focus on party affairs.

Even national leaders, citing the excuse of elections in other states, are not giving enough time to Karnataka. Besides, issues like the Dalit CM, Mr Siddaramaiah's love for Ahinda and controversies surrounding hin have divided senior leaders. The time has come for state leaders to pull up their socks and check the resurgence of the saffron party, he added.

Prasad sees bid to divide society on caste lines
In an oblique reference to the caste census leak episode, Revenue minister, V. Srinivasprasad on Sunday asserted that there was an attempt being made to divide society on caste lines, which would ultimately affect the lowest strata of society (Dalits).

Speaking at the birth anniversary celebrations of two prominent Dalit icons — Babasaheb Ambedkar and Babu Jagjivan Ram — Mr Srinivasprasad said that time and again, it has proved beyond doubt that every apparatus under the government’s control tries to break the unity of Dalits mostly indirectly and sometimes openly.

“We (Dalits) need to be over cautious in every step we take.  Recently, there was an attempt being made to divide Dalits and backward classes based on numerical strength, but I personally feel that such attempts will take us nowhere, instead we will be allowing society to crumble on caste lines,” he cautioned.

He further asserted that Dalits need not rake up the Dalit CM issue at this juncture as the state was reeling under an acute shortage of drinking water and fodder. “I am always in favour of a Dalit becoming CM of this state.  But, to make such demands at this time is not appropriate,” he said.

Noted writer, Prof. S.G. Siddaramaiah  slammed that the state government’s attempt to disclose the numerical strength of castes in the state. “What is the use of such data, which helps more in dividing than uniting society?” he asked. He also charged that several seers belonging to various communities in the garb of secular preachers, are the biggest culprits for dividing society.