Political circus divides Congress

BANGALORE: The uncertainty over the power transfer deal between JD(S) and BJP has impacted the Congress too, which otherwise should be gloating over the developments.
JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda has not only made the BJP wary on the issue, but has got the Congress virtually divided into two camps. While a section of senior generation in the party favours a reunion with the JD(S), young Turks, including new entrants, are opposed to it as such an alliance, they feel, will be suicidal to the state unit.In fact, the move would also put former deputy CM Siddaramaiah, who came out of JD(S) to take on Gowda, in a fix.
No one knows whether these 'alliance' moves of Congress managers from Karnataka like Oscar Fernandes and Margaret Alva have Sonia Gandhi’s blessings. Nevertheless, Union minister M V Rajashekaran’s meeting with Gowda and his name doing the rounds for the CM’s post, has increased the political temperature in the state. Senior Congressman C K Jaffer Sharief, who enjoys good equations with Gowda, is also said to be pushing for Rajashekaran.
The flip side of these developments is Rajashekaran, a Gandhian respected for his ideals but not a crowd-puller, has workers flocking to him today. A reticent person normally, he reportedly flared up at a party meeting on Wednesday when some young legislators wanted him to clear the air on the speculation. He is said to have challenged them to an open debate on the issue. However, he described his meeting with Gowda as a courtesy call.
In fact, camps in the Congress are working overtime than in the BJP. Those stoutly vetoing the alliance including D K Shiva Kumar, B Shivaram, B L Shankar, Ramesh Kumar, G Parameshwara, Krishna C Byre Gowda, M C Sudhakar and others, are in touch with Maharashtra governor S M Krishna. The latter is in a bind as his request to the party high command to permit him to return to elective politics is yet to be considered. Gowda-baiter Siddaramaiah’s well-wishers on hindsight wonder whether it would have been wiser for their leader to remain in AIPJD — his outfit which contested panchayat seats in 2005 — and helped Congress to take control of these bodies.
The confusion is not just in the Congress, but chief minister H D Kumaraswamy himself is at a loss on what to do as the October 3 deadline inches close. Minister-brother H D Revanna, who wants to step into his shoes, pressure from JD(S) legislators not to hand over power and fear of BJP gaining sympathy if denied power are bothering the CM.
Gowda is said to be sore that national BJP leaders are not talking to him on the issue. BJP is unnerved as Rajashekaran is a Lingayat, the caste deputy CM B S Yediyurappa is also from. Yediyurappa is now said to be regretting for not signing a pact on power-sharing.
Karnataka’s political saga finally boils down to the JD(S), which bagged just 58 assembly seats in 2004, is now keeping the Congress and BJP on tenterhooks.