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The mandate of Karnataka elections was clear. BJP not only emerged as the single largest party, but it was just seven seats short of absolute majority. The overall mandate was in favour of BJP which received support of the people across various sections of the society. It was clear that the people desired a BJP government in the state and the votes were cast in accordance with this wish. But the polling arithmetic resulted in BJP missing the absolute majority mark by a whisker. In an assembly of 224 where poling had taken place in 222 seats, BJP scored a handsome 104 seats showing that BJP was the choice of the people. So, it was incumbent upon the BJP to try forming a government in accordance with the wish of the people which was reflected in the mandate. Moreover, being the single largest party in the assembly, only BJP was in the position to give a stable government. So the BJP was right in approaching the governor in staking claim for forming the government in the state.
The mandate of Karnataka may be interpreted in various ways by the political pundits but no one can deny the fact that it was against the Congress government in the state. The seats of the Congress is not only drastically reduced but its main leader and outgoing chief minister Siddaramaiah lost badly from one of the two seats he contested and barely scrapped through another. Not only this, majority of his cabinet colleagues lost the elections showing complete rejection of Congress government by the people. In the last five years the Congress government in Karnataka not only earned notoriety for large scale corruption but also pursued divisive politics to serve its political ends. The Siddaramaiah government was non-performing, corrupt and lacked any vision for the development of the state. The people were waiting for the elections to teach a lesson to the Congress and as a result the Congress lost badly in the elections.
It is highly unfortunate to note that instead of humbly accepting the defeat the Congress chose to become part of the government through backdoor. In a bid to stop BJP from forming government in the state it supported JD (S) with the offer of chief ministership . Although JD(S) could win only 37 seats and Congress fought a pitched battle against it in the run up of the elections, the Congress leadership preferred to form an unprincipled and opportunistic alliance with it to somehow remain clinging to the power. While the party having only 37 seats in the assembly is leading the government with the post of chief minister in its kitty, Congress which was badly rejected by the people in the elections now supports the party somehow extracting more number of ministerial berths than its partner in the bargain. It has led to Congress touching a new low in politics proving once more its power hungry character and unprincipled politics.
Congress may draw solace in somehow stopping BJP from forming the government in Karnataka by cobbling an opportunistic alliance but it should know that the people are the highest court in democracy. They are watching its unprincipled politics and opportunistic character of the party. The people will once again teach Congress a lesson and this time the lesson will be much bitter. The BJP needs to go back to the people and expose this opportunistic alliance and should mobilise massive support in favour of the politics of performance and development. The Congress- JD(S) alliance is incapable of leading the state towards a bright future and two defeated parties cannot become a winning combination for the people. It is a fact which everyone knows and therefore it is the responsibility of the BJP to free the people from such an unprincipled and opportunistic coalition. It is time for every BJP karyakarta to go to the people and seek their blessings for the struggle ahead.
shivshakti@kamalsandesh.org