The last 20 months in power and its wait to head the government has changed the face of the BJP forever in the State. From a "model and clean" party, its image has taken a beating.
Never before had internal bickerings come out in the open as in the last two years. The high command, in fact, had to send its representatives to intervene on many occasions.
Having started its tryst with power with the promise that the party would deliver aspirations of the common man, BJP today faces the allegation for meeting its own end rather than fulfilling expectations of the people.
The party is also accused of going soft on its partner — JD(S) — in anticipation of transfer of power and its leaders of having silently swallowed all humiliation vented out by JD(S). It has ignored or reacted mildly to JD(S) barbs branding it a “communal” party.
For a party with a pro-urban and upper-caste image and an electoral base restricted to Shimoga, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada, it has come a long way in the last two decades. With just two MLAs during 1985-89, the party has emerged the single largest party in the State in just two assembly polls.
Party insiders reveal the BJP has not been able to consolidate its base. The outcome of the urban local body polls, where it was relegated to the third place, has been a slap on its face. Though BJP leaders say the party has made inroads in several local bodies where it was non-existent, one does not deny its focus was to win the maximum number of seats.
One of the reasons attributed to the setback is the one-upmanship between B S Yediyurappa and Ananth Kumar. Both have cultivated the art of keeping party workers happy but not strong. This in-fighting resulted in the party workers feeling marginalised.
Though Yediyurappa has two good budgets to his credit, JD(S) did not allow BJP to take credit for the programmes - be it the lottery and arrack ban or the crop loan waiver scheme.
BJP’s concentration in the last few months was on the suspicion that the JD(S) might not honour its part of the agreement. There were also conflicting statements from JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and some JD(S) ministers that the power transfer issue has not been decided conclusively yet.
Indications that the JD(S) is in touch with Congress leadership for a possible arrangement added fuel to party’s anxiety.
In the last 20 months, it was the boldest step by the party against JD(S) when all its ministers resigned when the JD(S) reneged on its promise for a power transfer on October 3.
