Vidhana Soudhana, the seat of power in Karnataka.
Credit: DH Photo
Once upon a time in the grand kingdom in the south of the country, there stood a magnificent throne in a building which had - Government's work is God's work - written on it. The building had a Seat of Power - carved from unkept promises, tall words, and the collective dreams of millions which they believed to come true one day.
The climb to that throne is not at all an easy one. Every five years, brave warriors from one tribe fight the other, take oaths, and occasionally hug each other (for the cameras) in its name.
The story this time isn’t about the battle for the throne, rather it is about who would keep sitting on it from the tribe itself.
The kingdom has two great chieftains. One is the Wise Elder, a veteran of many battles, fluent in speech, speaks what people want to hear and one-liners that could make both the crowd and the rivals blink. The other is the Ambitious General (in-waiting) armed with spreadsheets of his own popularity ratings. Both serve the same flag, wear the same color, and smile through the same party slogans, yet their hearts beat for one seat.
The Wise Elder currently occupies the throne, can be seen often adjusting his shawl and spectacles with authority. The General, meanwhile, stands right behind him (at times at par with him), applauding just a bit too hard. The crowd loved them both, though whispers began to swirl across the kingdom: “When will the Great Rotation happen?”
Enter the November Resolution which is nothing but a mysterious manuscript said to contain words of promise, peace, and allegedly potential future power-sharing. Are those words ever said is a mystery that both the camps try to unravel in their own ways.
The Wise Elder’s followers aggressively question - 'Why look for problems, when you can only see solutions?'
The General’s loyalists answer to every such question - 'Because it was promised to be shared!'
The House of Super Elders, based somewhere in the North near the Himalayas, say - 'Everyone calm down. We will decide soon.'
This is being played on loop.
So, the kingdom currently sees two suns rising over the same capital, each casting its own loyal shadow. Secret meetings are held, and yet leaks are planted, then denials follow, and both leaders declare their love for each other - 'We are brothers'.
Meanwhile, the citizens - waiting for the next battle when they can get a chance to have a say on what Tribe to do they want on top. They’ve seen this play before and they know how the real drama doesn’t happen during elections, it happens after them.