Bangalore: BS Yeddyurappa has shown his party who's the boss. In Bangalore today, Mr Yeddyurappa delivered Karnataka's new Chief Minister, DV Sadananda Gowda. With nearly 70 of the BJP's 121 MLAs backing him, Mr Yeddyurappa demonstrated that while he's been forced to resign as head of the government, he will very much decide its future. (Read & Watch: Who is Sadananda Gowda?)
The BJP in Karnataka did not miss this opportunity to publicly demonstrate its long-standing tradition of vicious rivalry. So Jagadish Shettar was propped up as the other candidate for Chief Minister by a camp headed by Ananth Kumar, who has often challenged Mr Yeddyurappa's leadership in the state.
And now, the 40-odd MLAs who rallied around Mr Shettar say they will boycott the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday for the new Chief Minister.
For the BJP's house in Karnataka, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
In the morning, MLAs arrived in buses at Capitol Hotel to elect their new leader. In an attempt to prevent any switching of sides, the two camps ensured their members travelled separately.
Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu - sent from Delhi to supervise the election - pushed hard for consensus on the new chief minister. When it was clear they had hit a dead end, a secret ballot was held.
118 MLAs finally voted. Mr Gowda, who currently represents Udipi-Chikmaglur in the Lok Sabha, polled over 68 votes. At a brief press conference, he said this evening that he wants to provide "a people-friendly government."
BS Yeddyurappa: Super-Chief Minister?
Mr Yeddyurappa is likely to guide most of the new Chief Minister's policies. After being indicted for corruption in a report on illegal mining in Karnataka, Mr Yeddyurappa flagrantly disobeyed his party diktat to step down immediately. He held the BJP to ransom for nearly 72 hours, insisting that his resignation would have to be compensated with a series of privileges. Selecting the man who replaced him headed the list; picking the new Cabinet was another; being made party chief in his state was the next. Mr Yeddyurappa was not shy.
Indicating how seriously he takes his exit, he told government officials yesterday that he "would be back" within six months. Dealing with the backseat driving that will no doubt steer his office will require Mr Gowda's famed affability. A trained lawyer and an avid sports fan, Mr Gowda has never served as a minister - so his administrative skills remain unproven. He has, however, been state BJP president and also a deputy leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. And he has never been accused of corruption.
None of those factors were as important to Mr Yeddyurappraa as the fact that Mr Gowda is from the Vokkaliga community. Mr Shettar on the other hand belongs to the powerful and dominant Lingayat community which has a huge 18% vote in Karnataka. Much of Mr Yeddyurappa's clout lies in the fact that he has been unchallenged as the main Lingayat leader. Mr Gowda will not change that; Mr Shettar might have.
But for Mr Yeddyurappa, who was dealt a blow in the morning when the state Governor allowed his prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Mr Gowda's selection affords a smile. (Read: Prosecute Yeddyurappa, says Karnataka Governor)
Now, with a Vokkaliga leader set to be Chief Minister, Karnataka watchers have wondered aloud if the BJP will get in a Lingayat Deputy Chief Minister, perhaps even Mr Shettar. There has been no mention of that from the BJP yet though.
The BJP in Karnataka did not miss this opportunity to publicly demonstrate its long-standing tradition of vicious rivalry. So Jagadish Shettar was propped up as the other candidate for Chief Minister by a camp headed by Ananth Kumar, who has often challenged Mr Yeddyurappa's leadership in the state.
And now, the 40-odd MLAs who rallied around Mr Shettar say they will boycott the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday for the new Chief Minister.
For the BJP's house in Karnataka, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
In the morning, MLAs arrived in buses at Capitol Hotel to elect their new leader. In an attempt to prevent any switching of sides, the two camps ensured their members travelled separately.
Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu - sent from Delhi to supervise the election - pushed hard for consensus on the new chief minister. When it was clear they had hit a dead end, a secret ballot was held.
118 MLAs finally voted. Mr Gowda, who currently represents Udipi-Chikmaglur in the Lok Sabha, polled over 68 votes. At a brief press conference, he said this evening that he wants to provide "a people-friendly government."
BS Yeddyurappa: Super-Chief Minister?
Mr Yeddyurappa is likely to guide most of the new Chief Minister's policies. After being indicted for corruption in a report on illegal mining in Karnataka, Mr Yeddyurappa flagrantly disobeyed his party diktat to step down immediately. He held the BJP to ransom for nearly 72 hours, insisting that his resignation would have to be compensated with a series of privileges. Selecting the man who replaced him headed the list; picking the new Cabinet was another; being made party chief in his state was the next. Mr Yeddyurappa was not shy.
Indicating how seriously he takes his exit, he told government officials yesterday that he "would be back" within six months. Dealing with the backseat driving that will no doubt steer his office will require Mr Gowda's famed affability. A trained lawyer and an avid sports fan, Mr Gowda has never served as a minister - so his administrative skills remain unproven. He has, however, been state BJP president and also a deputy leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. And he has never been accused of corruption.
None of those factors were as important to Mr Yeddyurappraa as the fact that Mr Gowda is from the Vokkaliga community. Mr Shettar on the other hand belongs to the powerful and dominant Lingayat community which has a huge 18% vote in Karnataka. Much of Mr Yeddyurappa's clout lies in the fact that he has been unchallenged as the main Lingayat leader. Mr Gowda will not change that; Mr Shettar might have.
But for Mr Yeddyurappa, who was dealt a blow in the morning when the state Governor allowed his prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Mr Gowda's selection affords a smile. (Read: Prosecute Yeddyurappa, says Karnataka Governor)
Now, with a Vokkaliga leader set to be Chief Minister, Karnataka watchers have wondered aloud if the BJP will get in a Lingayat Deputy Chief Minister, perhaps even Mr Shettar. There has been no mention of that from the BJP yet though.
No comments:
Post a Comment