After the collapse of the coalition arrangement between the JD(S) and the BJP which was formed 20 months ago, the inevitable has happened. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has resigned and Karnataka has come under President’s rule. Perhaps it is the best solution under the circumstances.
But the fact that the assembly has not been dissolved and kept under suspended animation should not lead to horse-trading. The proper course would be to dissolve the House once the President’s rule is approved by Parliament. The last minute efforts by some JD(S) legislators led by Mr Kumaraswamy to cobble up another alliance with the BJP – behind the back of senior leaders in both parties – provided some artifical excitement, but they were doomed to fail. It not only exposed the immaturity of the so-called leaders involved, but an unhealthy contempt for the democratic process.

As the whole drama unfolded, the Congress seemed to be the keenest on President’s rule, though some local leaders apparently were not averse to cutting a deal with Mr H D Deve Gowda all over again. Having burnt its hands earlier, the Congress high command would have none of it. As the leaders of the JD(S) and the BJP now begin to squabble over “betrayal” and sling mud at one another, the Congress has an opportunity to go before the people as an alternative to a messy coalition.

This is the fifth time that Karnataka has come under President’s rule and the onus is on the Governor, Mr Rameshwar Thakur, who has enough administrative experience, to provide the “healing touch”, after a bruising time of political gamesmanship. Mr Thakur’s priorities should include ensuring proper rehabilitation of thousands of families who were the victims of recent floods, putting the taluk-level administration back on the rails and attending to the ever-increasing infrastructural inadequecies of Bangalore City. He should pay urgent attention to the nightmarish problem of connectivity to the world class international airport at Devanhalli which will be ready in less than six months. The Governor will also obviously take a close look at several projects which were cleared even as the government was tottering. Since Mr Thakur will be functioning as a de facto head of the government for the period of President’s rule, he should evolve an effective mechanism for an interface with the public and regular interaction with the media, so that there is some transparency in his administration.