Lalit Garg
(The writer can be reached at lalitgarg11@gmail.com)
The Assembly elections in Karnataka are going to be very interesting; the results of these elections will have an impact on the future state of the Congress as well as the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. With these elections, the directions for deciding the role of Congress in the process of opposition unity will also emerge. In this sense, the Karnataka elections are important and will change the directions of future Indian politics. The Congress has pinned a lot of hopes on these elections, while on behalf of the BJP, like every time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is campaigning vigorously. By talking about banning Bajrang Bali in its manifesto, the Congress has stopped its march towards victory. Because the BJP is associating it with the honour and respect of Hindu sentiments, its negative effects will definitely be seen in the era of the Hindutva wave sweeping the country.
In spite of all the hustle and bustle, this election also seems to be deviating from the issues. As the polling date in Karnataka draws closer, the Assembly elections seem to be drifting away from issues and focusing on religious sentiments. Election promises of free revelries are an old tradition in the south, but now snakes around Shiva’s neck and Bajrangbali have also become election issues. Karnataka, which has become the gateway for the BJP in South India, is counted among the socio-economically better states, but the bitter truth is that the politics there have not been free from caste barriers. The state has three major communities: Lingayats, Vokkaligas, and Kurubas. Political parties have been looking for the way to power only by sitting the correct math of their vote-politics among them.
This time also, the electoral scenario seems to be starting with this multiplication. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediurppa; the BJP has big faces from the largest Lingayat community in the form of Yeddyurappa, but it has also suffered a setback with former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi rebelling and joining the Congress. The Congress has a Kuruba community in the form of former chief minister Siddaramaiah and state president D.K. The Vokkaliga community already has a big face in the form of Siva Kumar. In such a situation, it can be assumed that the change of sides between Shettar and Savadi has only benefited him. It will not be surprising if the effect of religious sentiments also shows its magic amidst these caste equations.
Despite the strong position of the Congress, even if the BJP pulls a miracle, it cannot be ruled out. The Congress may make the functioning of the BJP governments headed by Yeddyurappa and Bommai an issue, or the former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik and the wrestlers’ dharna at Jantar Mantar are additional issues for it. In response to the BJP’s manifesto with populist promises, Congress promises in the same way or going further are also politically understandable, but the promise of banning Bajrang Dal along with PFI has provided the BJP with the desired issue. First, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge created an unwanted and unseemly controversy by calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a poisonous snake. Then, by keeping Bajrang Dal and PFI in the same category, Congress diverted the election from the real issues and got swayed by emotions. You have given yourself a chance to go.
The issue of Bajrang Dal is going to be effective because the people of Karnataka have an emotional and religious connection with Hanumanji, and the pride of being the birthplace of Bajrangbali goes to this state. The BJP wanted this election to take a religious turn, and Congress has facilitated the BJP by raising the issue of Bajrangbali. The question is, why has the Congress once again agreed to play on the election pitch prepared by the BJP? The Congress, which dreams of banning Bajrang Dal, is actually calling for its complete downfall. Bajrang Dal is a nationalist organisation of patriotic youth that does not see caste, religion, etc. in times of calamity and cooperates with body, mind, and money in solving the crisis of the country. Where it is condemnable to compare it with terrorist organisations like PFI due to political bias, the same politics are a sign of immaturity.
Congress is also losing its remaining respect due to such prejudiced thoughts. It is ironic that instead of committing the evil of terrorism, the Congress is keen to target nationalist organisations. She is probably forgetting the history of Bajrang Dal. Who doesn’t know the remarkable role of this nationalist organisation in making the Raj work successful in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement? When the Congress released the manifesto, this one promise, along with the freebies, attracted everyone’s attention. It seems the sooner Congress gets out of this daydreaming, the better it will be for its advanced political future.
Another aspect of these elections is that both the hotly contested parties have given adequate attention to national issues as well. The BJP may not have directly talked about Ram Mandir, but it has definitely promised to implement the Uniform Civil Code and NRC. It is worth noting that the Congress is also looking very aggressive on these alleged national issues. In its manifesto, it has spoken of taking a tough stand against hate speech. Although the Central Government has already banned PFI for five years, Not only this, but in response to the BJP’s announcement of ending the four percent Muslim reservation, it has also talked about restoring it. This is an interesting change from the soft approach of the Congress on issues that have been allegedly divisive for some time now. Amidst all these promises, the question is not only whose promise is so tempting; it will also be a matter of how reliable the voters consider whose promises and which party leads them to victory.
Following in the footsteps of the Aam Aadmi Party, which emphasised the culture of freebies in Delhi, both the Congress and the BJP have tried to woo different sections of voters in their manifestos, which, though natural, raises a big question about the political state and direction. But no one has shown any hesitation in offering freebies in this sequence. While the Congress has promised 200 units of free electricity, Rs 2,000 per month to every female head of the family, Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates, and Rs 1,500 to diploma holders, the BJP has given half a kilo per day to every BPL family. Nandini has given assurances like giving milk, providing cheap food grains to the people, and giving three gas cylinders free of charge on Ugadi, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Diwali.
Remembering the debate that broke out in the past about the distribution of free women during elections, this part of the manifesto of both parties seems to violate it, but both of them link these promises with their resolve to empower the weaker sections. Whatever it may be, every time in the elections, every party does not hesitate even a bit to sideline the principles and values; they are being violated in these elections also. It is also true that despite the promises and claims of development, a large section of voters are still in the position that allegedly free or cheap things influence their vote decision.