Cong Steps in as BJP’s Crisis Deepens in Karnataka
With crisis going on in BJP in Karnataka and party MLAs camped in luxury hotels to shun poaching, Congress has stepped in the scene to make a strong pitch for flood relief and increased central compensation in what looks like an attempt to position itself in he war of perceptions.
A delegation of Congress leaders from Karnataka met party president Sonia Gandhi and asked her to impress upon Prime Minister Manmoha Singh to grant more relief funds for flood affected people in Karnataka. Those who met Gandhi included KPCC chief R V Deshpande, leader of opposition Siddaramaiah and Union ministers S M Krishna and K H Muniappa.
However, the delegation declined having had a political discussion with Congress president and said that the meeting was restricted to talks about relief measures about a serious flood situation in the northern part of Karnataka along with Andhra Pradesh.
With meeting focused on concerns about flood relief in the backdrop of CM BS Yeddyurappa’s men and mining magnates Reddy brothers and their supporters flitting in and out of bungalows to win the power struggle showing BJP in a poor light, Congress seems to be looking for using the opportunity to show the saffron apparatus as “power hungry”.
Yesterday, Yeddyurappa, realizing the MLAs engrossed in power struggle at a time when his government should focus on flood relief could shatter his government’s image, apologized to the people for dissident MLAs vacationing in resorts. It could embarrass his rebels but its damage potential could be enormous given the sensitivity of the issue.
Politically, it suits Congress to try a recovery in the state now as the situation seems to have changed since it lost a bulk of seats in Lok Sabha polls here. Not only has it won LS polls nationally, it has generated a positive vibe with the recent clean sweep of assembly polls. On the contrary, BJP central leadership is caught in dissidence and has sent out a message that it is ill prepared to take on Congress.
