Knot around its neck

There is one funny thing about politicians. When empowered, they often do things they don’t have to do. Issues like image, statesmanship, credibility and long-term interests are ignored in the rush for immediate gain. Party high commands fail to stop such people. While Congress is famous for this, the non-stop Yeddyurappa fiasco fits into this pattern.

Here’s a chief minister who had to leave office in disgrace. His successor turned out to be not only a credible chief minister but, more importantly, a clean one in whose watch no scandal broke out. This was the last opportunity for the BJP to retrieve the reputation it lost when the first BJP Government in the South turned out to be the most corrupt government in the South. But what happened? When BJP lost a by-election or two post Yeddyurappa, the party workers panicked and were persuaded to believe that without Yeddyurappa, BJP could not win in Karnataka? Wasn’t it exactly the opposite of what public opinion on the matter was? Interestingly, Yeddyurappa’s pressure tactics have been so relentless that questions that should have been asked were never asked.

Were his victories won on the grounds of credibility and statesmanship? When we look back, even a child can tell that Yeddyurappa won on the strength of money. Money of the kind that Karnataka politics had not seen before. Did he not polarize politics along caste lines? There are cases still pending against him. If court finds him guilty tomorrow, who then will win elections for the BJP in Karnataka? Well, forget about winning, with Yeddyurappa in play, will the BJP even be able to sustain itself? Isn’t the BJP only tightening the knot around its neck? Gaining time for a few weeks is never the solution. The BJP has to plan in long term if it plans to stay in Karnataka. Having Yeddyurappa around is certainly not going to help the situation.