Time to return the favour

First anniversary of BJP government

There will be grand celebrations today to mark the first anniversary of the BJP government led by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in the state. The people of Karnataka have once again reposed their strong faith in the BJP by electing a large number of its MP candidates to the Lok Sabha, which should have made the chief minister happy. But deep inside his heart he should know that he has finished one-fifth of his term without his government acquiring a sense of direction and purpose.
Winning as many as 19 Lok Sabha seats for the BJP for the first time ever in a State considered a strong Congress bastion not long ago, is indeed creditable. Some of the government’s populist programmes certainly would have helped. But, Yeddyurappa will be acutely aware that had the Congress and the JD(S) gone for a minimal understanding on the seats to be contested, the final picture of the LS elections could have been vastly different.
The Congress suffered its worst defeat by winning a mere six seats, but by deciding to take the long road to recovery rather than a short cut, the party is in a mood to take the BJP head on, on its own terms.

JD(S) in a tight spot

The JD(S) had an opportunity to become the Congress’ ally in the state and even at the national level, had it worked within its own limitations. But, by adopting a policy of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds — perhaps encouraged by its performance in the Assembly byelections — the JD(S) now finds itself in a precarious position. Kumaraswamy’s attempt to get into the Union cabinet having been thwarted, he faced a real dilemma of whether to remain in state and build the party or be a bystander in parliament. He appears to have chosen the latter course for the time being.
The Congress, on the other hand, appears to have worked out a roadmap for rejuvenating the party operatus in Karnataka. Despite winning only six Lok Sabha seats, it has accommodated four ministers in the Union cabinet and given them high profile jobs. Though barring K H Muniyappa, who has become MoS Railways, S M Krishna, Veerappa Moily and Mallikarjun Kharge with the portfolios given to them, may not be able to bring any substantial direct benefits to the state, but they will surely wield some influence being part of the Union council of ministers.
Kharge’s elevation to the Union cabinet also clears the way for Siddaramaiah to assume charge as leader of the opposition in the Assembly, a promise the Congress had made before the LS polls. A combative Siddaramaiah will be more than a match to Yeddyurappa and his team on the floor of the Assembly, provided he gets the right kind of cooperation from his colleagues.
Once the anniversary celebrations are over, Yeddyurappa will have to buckle down to energising his administration which has been unimaginative in the last one year. He should have realised by now that having a caste-based coterie around him may be useful in meeting the political ends, but it is not necessarily good in the long term. He has to identify good and capable officers from different communities and put them in key positions.
Karnataka is lagging behind the other southern states in the development of infrastructure, basic education, health, sanitation, irrigation and energy, which are crucial for further growth. With the limited resources available, prioritisation of works to be taken up is very essential.

Money on projects

Hundreds of crores of rupees are being spent on infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, flyovers and underpasses in Bangalore, without taking the views of experts and common people into consideration. Trees are being mindlessly cut in collusion with the timber mafia, turning Bangalore into a concrete desert. Do we really need all these projects? Will they make life easier for the people? The chief minister should immediately constitute a task force consisting of unbiased and non-corrupt experts and the officials to plan and execute the projects. Otherwise, all the expenditure will go down the drain.
Besides, he should also set up a monitoring mechanism to keep an eye on the quality of work and put a brake on the bureaucrat-contractor nexus. If Bangalore is to regain its preeminence as a ‘Global City,’ it cannot be done without meticulous planning and corruption-free environment.
The Lokayukta has been unearthing the muck of corruption by the dozens, but why isn’t the government showing any interest to punish the guilty? The chief minister should crack the whip on corrupt elements in government and show that his government means business.
He also needs to mend his fences with the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre to ensure that the state receives its due. In the pre-election heat, he had ridiculed Rahul Gandhi’s offer to bolster the development of the state, especially Bangalore. Yeddyurappa should adopt a bipartisan approach and should not hesitate to join hands with S M Krishna, Moily and Kharge in securing Central funds and projects for the development of the state.