The opposition Congress this week released a “rate card” of the BJP government in Karnataka, alleging bribes and large-scale corruption at every level. An embarrassed BJP dismissed the charges, calling the Congress corrupt instead.
The ruling party’s response, however, was not aggressive and many senior leaders and MLAs kept quiet, not taking on the Congress. The charges levelled by the Congress were discussed at the BJP Legislative Party meeting, and many MLAs and MLCs expressed serious concerns over it. Some of them even admitted in private that corruption has emerged a big issue that can “severely dent” the BJP’s prospects in Assembly elections due in April-May next year.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s faction has maintained that the corruption charges are old and that “all scams” took place during the two-year tenure of predecessor BS Yediyurappa.
Some leaders, however, brought to the notice of party seniors that internal surveys conducted in the last few months are not encouraging and argued that the BJP state unit must pull up its sleeves to come out with a counter strategy to ensure it remains in power next year.
According to many insiders, the party leadership and the RSS are convinced that it would be almost impossible to win the 2023 elections on the development or governance plank. They feel that the organisation is likely to return to Hinduvta to mount a high-decibel election campaign.
After Bommai took charge as the CM, Karnataka has been in the news for several communal issues like the hijab and halal rows, the loudspeaker controversy and the anti-conversion bill. The Upper House of the Karnataka Legislature, which is in session, passed the controversial anti-conversion bill on Thursday despite the Congress’ strong protests. The bill has already got the assent of the Assembly.
“The anti-conversion bill will help us in the elections. We have to prove that the BJP is a Hindutva party and no one can deny that. It is true that our governance is not up to the mark and many corruption charges are true. If we fight the Congress on these, we won’t be able to give it back. We can still go to elections on Hindutva,” said a senior minister with strong links to the RSS.
He also explained that the hijab, halal and loudspeaker issues made an impact on the core voter base of the BJP and it is better to fight the elections on Hindutva than on other issues and castes.
Bommai who is a lateral entrant to the BJP is personally not in favour of using the Hindutva card, but ground realities are forcing him to go with the organisation, claim those in his close circle.
“To keep our core voters, the Lingayats, intact, the party high command has brought BS Yediyurappa back from retirement. It has made him a member of the apex Parliamentary Board and Central Election Committee. But that alone does not guarantee us a win. There is no certainty that all Lingayats will once again vote for the BJP. The Other Backward Classes (OBCs) are mostly with us. There are about a hundred castes among the OBCs. If they vote on caste lines, it will work against us. We need Hindutva to keep them together,” another senior minister said.
The Congress, which seems to have realised that the BJP is going to polls on Hindutva, alleges that it is going to create communal tensions across the state closer to elections. Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah has slammed the BJP, claiming it is spreading communal tensions in hitherto peaceful areas of the state.
“The BJP knows it can’t win the elections on development because it is the most corrupt government in the history of Karnataka. If the elections are fought on governance, they may not win even 50 seats. That’s why they are gearing up to sprinkle communal poison over the state,” he said.
Powerful Lingayat leader of the Congress MB Patil, who is also the chairman of KPCC campaign committee, is touring the state, mobilising the support of his community in favour of the party. He has even dared the BJP high command to declare Yediyurappa as their CM candidate in the upcoming Assembly elections. He argues that Lingayats will vote for the Congress in big numbers and they no longer depend on only one party or leader.
The state BJP leadership is also planning to invite UP Chief Minister and Hindutva face Yogi Adityanath to campaign in Karnataka elections.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo yatrameanwhile, is entering Karnataka on September 30. He will walk through the crucial election-bound state for 21 days. While the state Congress is excited about the padyatrathe BJP is closely watching it.
The third party in play — the JD(S) of the Gowda clan which has earlier shared power with both the BJP and the Congress — is sending mixed signals. It is playing the Kannada card these days to stay relevant and to assert that it is a regional party committed to the primacy of Kannada in all spheres of life.
The BJP’s possible return to Hindutva is likely to turn Karnataka into a communal conundrum.
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