Bengaluru: Back-to-back defeats in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections and assembly by-polls and a lacklustre performance in the ZP and TP polls is more than a cause of worry for the Congress party.
Two veterans, B. Janardhan Poojary and Adagur Vishwanath, had taken potshots at the Siddaramaiah cabinet and said, "Unless the deadwood are got rid of, the party may find it difficult to return to power in 2018."
This clearly shows the Congress old-guard is not happy with the present dispensation run by a relatively new Congressman, Siddaramaiah. The CM has to thank the Kalasa-Banduri agitation which took the wind out of BJP’s sails in 11 taluks in Bombay-Karnataka, reducing its overall tally.
Sources in the Congress attributed the party’s not so encouraging show to three reasons. For one, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s over emphasis on AHINDA turned counter-productive during these elections.
Mr Siddaramaiah kept chanting the mantra of AHINDA and the welfare of Kurubas, Edigas and two or three big communities in the OBC bloc. "Naturally, hundreds of microscopic OBCs felt left out. I feel they might have moved to BJP which also got the support of Lingayats and other dominant communities," a leader told DC.
Two, Mr Siddaramaiah’ overt attempt to divide society on communal lines hurt the party’s prospects. "The decision to observe Tipu Jayanti, the campaign strategy devised for Hebbal which forced voters to take sides on communal lines and giving the Sahitya Academy award to K.S. Bhagawan, a rationalist, were among the many decisions which earned him the sobriquet of anti-Hindu.
This has hurt the party’s prospects in coastal Karnataka and many other places." Throughout these polls, the CM, raved and ranted against Prime Minister, Narendra Modi which was a tactical blunder.
"Even though we do not like the Prime Minister who belongs to the BJP, we cannot focus on criticising Mr Modi in these elections. It is quite natural that people voted against the Congress," the leader said.
Mr Siddaramaiah himself admitted that many of his ministers were and are non-performers. "The ministers gave an impression to people that they had no individual purpose while handling the portfolios they have been allotted. But, the chief minister cannot let himself off-the-hook as a ‘collective goal’ was missing in the last 34 months.”
These factors helped the BJP gain an edge in Hyderabad-Karnataka which was the stronghold of Congress. "If the high command does not take these indicators seriously and fails to carry out a mid-course correction, the party will face an uphill task in 2018," sources added. The crucial urban local body elections are due in 2017.
"The urban pockets are considered strongholds of BJP. Therefore, the urban local body results may set the tone for 2018 unless the Congress party brings in changes and improve its image in the state," a senior leader confided.
