New face for city’s K.R. seat?

By K.B. Ganapathy, Editor-in-Chief

In William Shakespeare’s play ‘Hamlet,’ Polonius says at one point “Though this be madness, yet there is method in it.” This precisely seems to be the state of Karnataka BJP which will go to the Assembly polls next year, 2018 to challenge the incumbent Congress and the JD(S).

The BJP honchos should not forget that in 2013, without B.S. Yeddyurappa, the BJP was reduced to a mere 40 seats, same number that JD(S) too got. BJP lost many potential seats because of Yeddyurappa’s KJP’s entry which ate into BJP’s vote share. That KJP got just four seats is irrelevant but the damage it caused to BJP’s possible victory or in getting more than what JD(S) got could not be ignored either.

Now about the ‘Method’ in the present madness about which I had written in my ‘Abracadabra’ column under the prophetic headline “State BJP heading for Harakiri in 2018?” on 21st April 2017.

First, BJP National High Command should understand that Karnataka is in South India with its voters’ preference, nay even loyalty, swaying between the party and caste. If the party is found unstable, voters will shift their preference to caste, exceptions apart. The problem of Karnataka BJP is that it has two masters — National BJP and RSS. And the Bible says, you cannot serve two masters — God and Mammon!

A real dilemma for party workers, sympathisers and voters. If those not in electoral politics enter BJP as office-bearers from RSS and entertain Ministerial ambition, as has happened now in Karnataka BJP, one is bound to see the present ugly spectacle in the open. Such Ministerial aspirants, not having fought a single election, will then resort to the “divide and succeed” policy as we are seeing today. K.S. Eshwarappa is a mere foot-soldier, a pawn in the hands of such Ministerial aspirants. And only men like Eshwarappa could connive with such people, themselves not being  ‘Jana Nayaks’ like Yeddyurappa in BJP. The support of Karnataka’s majority population of Lingayats is absolutely for Yeddyurappa, a 24×7, relentless politician, just as Siddharamaiah with the support of AHINDA (Minority, Backward Classes and Dalits). When this is the political divide, the dissidents in BJP are trying to weaken its President Yeddyurappa, reducing him to a dummy President.

Be that as it may, today’s newspapers screamed, “Krishnaraja Assembly: BJP may pitch media-savvy Malavika Avinash.” I received the first phone call from a politically-savvy friend asking ‘Who is this Malavika Avinash?’

‘Why?’

‘She is the likely candidate for K.R. Constituency. See Deccan Herald (DH),’ he said.

I scrambled for the DH and lo and behold, there it was in four column spread with a beaming Malavika. Somebody has done a good PR for her!

‘What happens to S.A. Ramdas and H.V. Rajeev, the old contenders for the K.R?,’ I asked.

‘You must tell me, being a journalist,’ was his response.

‘I can make a guess about Congress or JD(S) candidates, not about BJP,’ I said.

‘Call Ramdas and find out,’ he said and mentioned of a Kannada adage, “Hosa Vaidyaniginta, Hale Rogiye Uttama” (old patient is better than a new doctor).

I called Ramdas and Rajeev without success. But what about BJP’s success in this  Constituency presently held, for the second time, by M.K. Somashekar of Congress? He may be lucky third time also and deliver a hat-trick. GoK.