Editorial: Yeddy vs Reddy, BJP’s Another Trouble
Nothing could be worse for a political party than repeatedly beating dust at hustings, disintegrating – or debilitating internally – conceding command to a controlling upper outfit and then having a leadership problem in one of few states governed by it. BJP is faced with the situation, with no relief. It’s no surprising that party’s in-charge for Karnataka Arun Jaitley drew a blank to find a solution during his three-day stay in Bangalore or that Reddy brothers, the powerful mining magnates of Ballery district, are not only adamant on their stand of leadership change in the government but are camping in New Delhi with a demand list – rather a ‘blackmail list’ – despites party’s already declared official stand of continuing with present leadership in the government. Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa has lost command in the state and party’s central leadership in New Delhi. It’s the short and simple answer to the BJP’s current mess.
Reddys’ ability to help the party to win 2008 assembly elections and proposing another leader of Lingayat community for the top job, State Assembly Speaker, that is, have presently become not only larger than command of central leadership but larger than anything else to present even some very absurd demands.
Though Yeddyurappa represents the significant Lingayat community in the state and commands popularity among farmers, two noticeable things that make him BJP’s choice for chief ministership; Reddy brothers find it easy to mess up with the party leadership. Their ability to help the party to win 2008 assembly elections and proposing another leader of Lingayat community for the top job, State Assembly Speaker, that is, have presently become not only larger than command of central leadership but larger than anything else to present even some very absurd demands, which reportedly include Home Minister of their choice, withdrawal of cases against them in a kidnapping case, speedy processing in cases Reddy have interests, doling out percentage of advertisement of revenue to a group of their choice etc. BJP is most probably facing a unique problem in the face of Yeddy-Reddy fight where either quenching dissidence or taking a firm decision on the issue is out of its power. As rumours suggest there might even be a revolt in the party if situation is not timely handled, leading to a ‘breakaway’ which Congress, along with Deve Gowada’s legistlatures, would like to align with and form a government.
BJP’s inability to deal with the situation is understandable due to its very popular infight. But what crashes our mind is the inefficacy of the RSS – both BJP’s parent body and now its savior – to tide over the Reddy tide, for it’s BJP leaders’ last hope. So what it means? That the problem inside the saffron party have soared up to a level that even Sangh finds it rather ticklish to put things back into order or that RSS doesn’t have anything to help a sound or a disintegrating BJP in the first place, or, more practical, that it’s because Sangh itself lacks authority in southern states to be an authority on the saffron party on matters pertaining to south. If you put any of these three possibilities to anybody, he’ll most probably finish up saying that all the three apply. Is BJP listening to it? If it sits and sincerely thinks, it’ll find a solution to all its problems. Just think over these three.
