In an unfolding drama of Karnataka elections, there is a new twist in the saga of who will form the government. No party could touch the halfway mark, with BJP getting the 104 seats and Congress and JD(S) securing 78 and 38 seats respectively. Congress and JD(S) formed a post-electoral alliance and both the alliance and the BJP have approached the governor to stake a claim for forming the government.
Today, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader KS Eswharappa stated that The Karnataka BJP is in touch with many disgruntled MLA’s from Congress and JD(S). This statement comes at a time when BJP is looking to stitch together a majority to form a government in the state.
“Many JD (S) and Congress MLAs are angry with Congress and JDS going together to form the government, they will come with BJP. We have the support of some Congress and JD(S) MLAs,” Eshwarappa told the media.
Eshwarappa was beaming with confidence as he expressed his confidence in BJP forming the government in Karnataka. He stated, “There is no doubt we will form govt, 100 percent we’ll do that. Wait and watch. Results came out only yesterday. It has been only a day. See what can happen in Karnataka in a day.”
Meanwhile, BJP’s Basavaraj Bommai said that the party wasn’t approaching any individuals as of now but he maintained that politics is an ‘art of possibility’.
“Political scenario will unfold in next 2-3 days. It depends on development in political parties. As of now, we aren’t approaching any individuals but politics is an art of possibility,” Bommai told reporters.
While the political game of thrones heats up, some MLAs from Congress and BJP have reportedly “gone missing“. And BS Yeddyurappa has claimed that BJP has the numbers to form the government.
The entire nation is waiting to see what the Governor of Karnataka decides, there are precedents which support both parties claim to form the government.
Reflecting on the results pouring in from Karnataka, one can’t miss the outright rejection of the Congress tactics of playing up one group against another by the democratic mandate of the people. Even if the country has come out of the colonial hangover, the Congress, true to its origins, has inherited the ways of the coloniser. From worshiping a family to dividing society to continue its rule, are some of the manoeuvre it has learnt from the British masters and continues to apply in ample measure.
In the Karnataka elections, the Congress tried to throw in a number of identity cards, with an aim to divide the Hindu society on caste, region and religious basis. However, the diabolical strategy has been rejected by the people. The Vokkaliga and Lingayats, who make up significant percentage of overall population of Karnataka, emphatically voted for non-Congress parties. The former are gravely incensed by the CM Siddaramaiah for meting out step motherly treatment to the community in favour of his own community of Kurubas. The opposition to the Congress CM has culminated into the Vokkaligas consolidating against the former in Chamundeshwari and ensuring his defeat from the assembly seat by more than 36,000 votes. The votes of the community have mostly gone to the JD(S), followed by the BJP.
Similarly, the Lingayats have been steadfast in their support to the BJP. The regions dominated by the community have given a decisive mandate to the BJP. Lingayat dominated regions, including Bedgavi and Hubli-Dharwad, have the saffron party winning majority of seats. There has been stern rejection from the community who were enticed by Siddaramaiah with the minority religion tag. They not only refused to fall for the trap but came out much stronger in their dismissal of Congress government’s attempt to break them away from larger Hindu-fold ten days prior to elections.
Political murders of BJP-RSS workers raised heat in the state as the Chief Minister failed to control the deteriorating law and order situation. The BJP President raised the issue of BJP-RSS karyakartas killed in the state as an election issue, which found immense resonance among the people in the Coastal region of Karnataka. As per the election verdict, the BJP has swept Dakshina Kannada and Udupi regions, which were with Congress in 2013. The BJP Karnataka even dedicated victory of its candidate from Dakshina Kannada to BJP’s karyakarta Prashant Poojary who was hacked to death.
The caste fault lines were actively ignited by the Congress in the run up to the elections. CM Siddaramaiah placed himself as the representative of SC community in Karnataka. However, on the Badami seat he himself faced a tough competition from tribal leader Sriramulu. The former CM managed to steal a win by mere 1600 votes. His government’s Social Welfare Minister and his close aide H Anjaneya faced defeat by a whopping 40,000 margin, puncturing the claims of Congress Chief Minister of enjoying support of the backward classes, as opposed to the BJP.
There could be no doubt about the anti-incumbency working against the Congress government considering 13 of their sitting ministers lost elections. However, during the newsroom discussions, the Modi detractors tried to brush aside anti-incumbency, calling Siddaramaiah a cut above the rest. In one of the articles, published in the Washington Post, Barkha Dutt invoked Siddaramaiah’s “subaltern” identity as a counter to Prime Minister’s popularity.
The verdict, however, has shown the hollowness of claims made by op-ed writers. The election has also clearly manifested the nation-wide appeal of the Prime Minister that cuts across identity politics. Even after 4 years of being in power at the centre, PM Modi remains an endearing figure, who is seen as a leader who not only promises change but delivers it. With 2019 elections nearing in, the Modi juggernaut is yet to be reined in by his political adversaries. They are now looking to erect a united front, devoid of any ideological base and purely based on the plank of anti-Modi sentiments to counter the BJP’s forward march. Since, BJP in Karnataka, despite emerging as the single largest party, failed to muster the half way mark, Karnataka might witness the dress rehearsal of the same with Congress and JD(S) coming together to stake a claim to power.
Earlier today, while leaving the Raj Bhavan after meeting the governor, BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate, BS Yeddyurappa spoke to the media and asserted that he had presented the party’s decision to the Governor. While speaking to the media, Yeddyurappa said that he has been unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP legislative party. He also claimed that the BJP has numbers to form the government in Karnataka.
Upon being asked how the BJP has got the numbers, the contingent speaking to the media avoided answering the question thereby indicating the party is holding its cards close to its chest.
The party has chosen me. I have given the letter to the Governor & he will call me, that is what I am hoping. He told me that he will take an appropriate decision. I’ll inform you after I receive letter from Governor: BS Yeddyurappa, BJP after meeting the Guv #KarnatakaElectionpic.twitter.com/LJBjRrZ3OR
In the recently declared results, the BJP has managed to secure 104 seats falling short of the magic majority figure by 7 seats. The Congress and JD(S) have reportedly been in alliance talks, however, some MLAs from Congress and the JD(S) seem to be ‘missing‘ furthering theories that the BJP is now forming a counter strategy to get the numbers.
The Congress and JD(S) together have 117 seats as of now and the Governor is yet to take a call on this issue.
The fractured mandate in Karnataka on Tuesday resulted in a bit of a fracas, with the BJP emerging as the largest party with 104 seats and Congress, JD(S) coming a distant second and third, with 78 and 37 seats respectively.
BJP falling short of a majority resulted in the Congress and JD(S) becoming unlikely allies, with the Congress promising its minority partner, the Chief Minister’s position to somehow hold on to power. This offer was also accepted by HD Kumaraswamy, who along with the Congress leaders headed over to the Governor’s place for staking claim to form the government.
It though was slightly naive to accept that BJP would be watching silently, and only yesterday reports had claimed that BJP was in talks with 9 JD(S) MLAs and 6 Congress ones. The plot now seems to be thickening if a Republic TV report is to be believed.
As reported, ahead of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) meeting, the Congress party is unable to locate 4 of its MLA-elects from the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. This ‘disappearance’ comes after the party had issued a whip to all its MLAs to make sure that they attend the meeting.
The Congress though has strongly denied the possibility of its MLAs rebelling, with former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claiming that all the MLAs were intact and that they were confident of forming the government.
Despite what the Congress might be claiming, the perception that all is not well in the party is being “bolstered” by other local reports which claim that a whopping 32 MLAs have failed to arrive at the KPCC meeting. Hence only 46 MLAs were available to sign the letter of support which will be used to stake a claim for forming the government:
#KarnatakaKurukshetra: Only 46 out of 78 newly elected MLAs arrive at KPCC office. 46 MLAs sign the letter of support. Signatures being taken to stake claim to form government. Congress legislature party leader unlikely to be elected today. pic.twitter.com/QxAiCGL6M5
News also surfaced of some JD(S) MLAs going missing while BJP and the alleged Congress + JD(S) alliance are scramming to form the government.
JD(S)’ MLAs Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and Venkata Rao Nadagouda are missing from the JD(S) legislative party meeting which is going on in a hotel in Bengaluru. #KarnatakaElections2018pic.twitter.com/oRASjpqwjd
Karnataka elections continue to be the main talking point for the nation as yesterday’s results spawned a hung assembly with no party reaching the required 111 mark out of 222 constituencies. BJP managed to secure 104 seats where the Congress secured 78 and JD(S) secured 38.
The BJP wanted to claim stake to form the government as the single largest party but a last-minute electoral alliance by Congress and Janta Dal (Secular) has also approached the Governor to stake the claim for forming the government.
To counter this alliance and poaching of democracy BJP is rethinking its approach. Union Minister for Oil and Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Minister of Health and Family welfare JP Nadda will be attending a party meeting in Karnataka as their newly attained capacity of observers. The meeting is supposed to take place today at 11 a.m.
The Congress backed JD(S) government will have the son of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s son, Mr.Kumaraswamy as their chief minister. The BJP chief ministerial candidate B.D.Yeddyurappa has also approached the Governor to form the government.
It is, at the end of it all, the state’s governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala’s call. The governor has the constitutional discretion to ask any party to form the government in situations such as this.
The BJP has fallen short of a simple majority by 8 seats. The state of Karnataka has given a fractured verdict after 10 years. Political instability and lack of governance will again rule the roost if a coalition government were to come to power in a state that is facing multiple challenges at this juncture.
Karnataka has clearly rejected Congress but has failed to replace it with another party with a clear mandate. This has brought together two ‘secular’ parties which may form the next government if nothing comes in their way from now to the oath-taking ceremony/or floor test.
BJP’s performance was nothing short of phenomenal
BJP was up against the most stubborn breaking India forces in the state and still managed to come very close to a simple majority. The party’s performance in this election is nothing short of phenomenal.
This election and its outcome remind me of Modi’s speech on the floor of Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2016. Narendra Modi recited a poem penned by Nida Fazli before concluding his speech. In fact, Karnataka elections and its result can also be described with these verses.
Vikas v/s divisive politics
Safar Mein Dhoop To Hogi Jo Chal Sako To Chalo
Sabhi Hain Bheed Main Tum Bhi Nikal Sako to Chalo
Translation: Scorching sunshine is part of the journey if you can endure, please walk. A huge crowd is walking down this path, if you can get through this rat race, please move ahead.
In the run-up to the Karnataka assembly poll, challenges were thrown at the doorstep of BJP one after the other. Lingayat separate religion card, official state flag demand, North v/s South division (similar to Bihari v/s Bahari rhetoric in the Bihar assembly election). Each demand seemed to be a challenge that would either dent the ideology of BJP or its electoral chances. The entire ecosystem ran a high decibel campaign on TV panels demanding that the party take a stand on these issues.
As Fazli would have said, ‘Sabhi Hain Bheed Main’; in a situation where all parties seek victory at any costs, ‘Tum Bhi Nikal Sako to Chalo’; if you can manage to resist such a temptation, please try. BJP took the difficult path. It did not engage in divisive agenda and sought to focus on important issues.
BJP tried hard to sell its achievements and raised valid issues like poor urban infrastructure, lack of irrigation facilities for farmers, minority appeasement, nepotism and political violence in the state. As a BJP supporter, I was sceptical whether the party could afford to avoid the issues thrown at it by Congress. BJP not only managed to ignore divisive politics but also succeeded in gaining more support because of its different approach.
Modi swung it for BJP, but that was not enough
Kisi Ke Waaste Raahe Kaha Badalti Hain
Tum Apne Aap Ko Khud Hi Badal Sako To Chalo
Translation: Paths do not change because of your wishes. If you can change it yourself, please do.
Pollsters dubbed it a waveless election. Some proclaimed that the Siddaramiah’s bid to break Hinduism and his overtures to AHINDA (minorities, backward castes and Dalits) vote bank could trump the BJP’s chances. His schemes like Indira Canteen and Bhagya schemes were given a thumbs up by dubious panellists. A regular BJP supporter felt that the election was slipping out of the party’s hands.
In Fazli’s words, we needed a man who could change the direction of the election and create a wave based on his own strength. That man turned out to be Narendra Modi. He fought every roadblock in his way. Language barriers, lack of a populist lollipop and race against time. Modi blended his achievements, raised local issues and attacked the misdeeds of Congress and its government during his campaign to sway the public.
We must not undermine the efforts of 75-year-old BS Yeddyurappa while praising Modi’s blitzkrieg in the final week of the campaign. Mr Yeddyurappa had travelled the entire state and prepared the ground for BJP’s final push. In a trilateral battle, Modi’s contribution proved to be instrumental in securing the highest mandate among the parties.
Opportunism and nepotism will now rule the roost
Yahaan Kisi Ko Koi Raasta Nahi Deta
Mujhe Giraake Agar Tum Sambhal Sako To Chalo
Translation: Nobody makes way for others in this crowded path. If you can topple and walk over me while maintaining your balance, please go ahead.
Nobody made way for BJP in Karnataka. Actors, journalists, intellectuals and religious leaders pleaded with the public to vote Congress to serve their own narrow agendas. BJP, Modi ,Amit Shah and Yeddyurappa had to survive this huge opposition in order to obtain the result they have got today.
BJP’s performance is nothing short of poetic justice. Poetic justice for those who chose to stand on the side of unity in Hinduism and against divisive and narrow agendas like a dynastic politics, regional flag, minority appeasement, caste politics or fake Kannada pride. The Congress party which supported such evils has been rejected by the state.
The performance and longevity of the coalition government that is being planned is anybody’s guess. The governance agenda of the new coalition government is still unclear. The only focus right now is to keep ‘communal’ forces out and form a ‘secular’ government.
It must be mentioned that HD Kumaraswamy had promised his voters that he would prefer fresh polls if there was a fractured verdict during his campaign.
“we will not go with either the Congress or the BJP, we will sit in the opposition. If need be we will go for another election but will not join with any party” Kumaraswamy in a TV show to voters some weeks back. https://t.co/lk8iWSsXd4
The coalition government will serve the interest of JDS which is out of power for more than ten years. Congress which is out of power in most states will use the state as a cash cow and milk the tax payer.
What is Amit Shah thinking?
Amidst all this drama, one would wonder, ‘What is going on in Amit Shah’s mind right now? Is he ready to sit and watch this after all the hard work?’ No one knows. Perhaps he is following the suggestion of Chanakya.
Translation: Whatever action you plan to take should not be revealed with words. It should be protected like a secret until it is put into action.
The drama that will unfold in coming days will be interesting to watch for everyone. Perhaps, it is appropriate to end this article with this quote.
Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good. Hence a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires. ~ Niccolò Machiavelli
Number games are back in Karnataka after the elections results were announced yesterday. As the JD(S) and Congress hurried into the last moment alliance to stake a claim at forming the government, the odious task of protecting their MLAs from ‘poaching’ now looms over both the parties.
DK Shivakumar, the Energy Minister of the incumbent government and one of the richest Congress leaders has hinted at the old ‘Resort’ game.
Yes definitely there is a plan. We have to safeguard our MLAs, We will let you know what is the plan: DK Shivakumar, Congress on being asked if Congress MLAs in Karnataka will be shifted somewhere else pic.twitter.com/WxyIDAFLcW
DK Shivakumar happens to be the perfect man for ‘safeguarding’ the Congress MLAs because he has done it before. In July 2017, DK Shivakumar hosted 42 Gujrat MLAs at the Eagleton Golf Resort in the outskirts of Bengaluru. For several days the pictures of the luxurious lawns and elaborate buffets that were circulated in the media had done enough endorsement for the resort. Turns out, not only DK Shivakumar, even the resort itself has a history of housing and ‘safeguarding’ vulnerable MLAs.
According to reports, in 2006-07, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy had kept some of his party’s MLAs at the same resort too, to prevent their switching over to BJP from the then Congress-JD(S) coalition.
Congress’ relationship with resorts goes back a long way. During the Gujrat Rajya Sabha polls. Congress leader Digvijay Singh requested rebelling Congress MLA Shankarsingh Vaghela to remember the old times from 1995 when he had personally hosted him and other MLAs when they were rebelling against the BJP government in the state.
Looking at the scenarios of no party hitting the magic majority number, resorts around the region have started upping their sales pitch. Yesterday Kerala Tourism had tweeted the Karnataka MLAs to ‘come out and play’ at any of their resorts. Though they later deleted the tweet.
Now, as Congress both Congress and JD(S) are busy protecting their MLAs from falling into BJP’s hands, the Eagleton Golf Resort is back in business. Journalist Shiv Aroor has informed that the resort is waiting for its new precious guests.
102 rooms booked at Eagleton resort outside Bangalore (of Ahmed Patel Rajya Sabah election fame). Call to be taken whether Congress MLAs will be herded there after meetings, reports @nagarjund. #KarnatakaVerdictpic.twitter.com/lcR10aUTVH
Gurmehar Kaur, who shot to fame by a video claiming how Pakistan didn’t kill her martyred father who was killed in the line of duty in cross-border terrorism, but the war did and now bullies kids for making memes on her, was brought to limelight by one Ram Subramanian who made the video. This Ram Subramanian spends his time spreading hate and bile over the Internet and he crossed all lines of basic human decency on Mothers’ Day when he dragged in Prime Minister Modi’s mother into it, saying she should have considered abortion.
The tweet received a lot of backlash and Subramanian kept defending his stand, even as he garnered support from fly by night self-proclaimed ‘journalists’.
You obviously lack reading and comprehension skills, because if you actually had them, you’d be able to grasp what @VORdotcom meant.
While he deleted the tweet for reasons best known to him, people decided to initiate legal action against his hate speeches masquerading under the guise of ‘freedom of speech’.
Treat this as 1st and last warning Mr Ram. If you disagree or want to crtiticize, do it within the boundaries of civility. Your words and actions amount to committing a criminal offence. If you do it again, be ready to face consequences. https://t.co/9priJaCw4b
BJP leader and lawyer Gaurav Bhatia also said that while Subramanian has deleted the tweet, he will follow it up and bring a logical conclusion.
Mr Ram has deleted the tweet but that doesnt mean he shouldn’t be punished for his abusive and offensive language. We will follow it up to ensure that he is punished and put behind bars. https://t.co/aTZNXsd3Xm
Earlier, Subramanian had rooted for PM Modi’s assassination as well.
BJP leader Priti Gandhi, too, took to Twitter to threaten Subramanian with legal consequences for his hate.
I will try my best that you don’t get away with all the abusive filth & venom you have been spewing against our elected representatives @VORdotcom.
Enough is enough!! pic.twitter.com/xlH4mdXGTH
Ram Subramanian is supposed to be an ad filmmaker who has worked with top advertising firms like Ogilvy, Contract. But recently he seems to have started specialising in political agenda peddling and hate mongering.
A well known AAP supporter, he had openly volunteered to work for the party in the 2015 Delhi assembly elections. Mumbai Police has reportedly booked him under relevant sections of the IPC and IT Act.
BJP wins 104 seats, Congress wins 78 and JDS wins 37. 2 seats go to others including one independent candidate. With a hung assembly, the coming days promise to be extremely interesting, though currently Congress and JDS are claiming that they will form a government together.
With that the day comes to an end, but the politics has just begun. We thank you for following our live blog. Keep following OpIndia for latest news and updates.
The Karnataka election results are out and its a hung assembly. The BJP has emerged as the number 1 party and is just short of a simple majority. The Congress is the big loser, but along with the JD(S), it has just enough numbers to claim the majority. However, there are also reports of break-away MLAs from both JD(S) and Congress. Keeping that aside, if the official numbers hold, who should the Governor call?
Out first expert is Congress leader Randeep Surjewala. In 2017, when a similar situation was seen in Goa, only the Congress was the largest party, Surjewala had opined that the single largest party should be called, which in Karnataka’s case will be BJP:
9 Judges S.R.Bommai’s case clearly decided that ‘single largest party has to be called to form the Govt’. Why is Modiji trampling democracy? pic.twitter.com/Vd5LDIAuNW
Sagarika Ghose claims to base her view on the very same Bommai case, and has a totally different view as compared to the above view:
Bommai judgement: When no party has numbers. 1) Governor first needs to call the pre poll alliance, 2) if no pre-poll alliance then the post poll alliance 3) if they also can’t prove, only then single largest party
Today I heard anchors and pundits say: politics is the art of the possible, Cong is not nimble enough etc. Now the word ‘morality’ is being thrown about by some of them, despite there being legal precedent
