‘Stung’ K’taka CM pulls out all stops to catch rivals napping
BENGALURU: Often ridiculed by critics as Niddaramaiah for dozing off in public forums, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah is on a mission to catch rivals off guard in the run-up to the assembly elections due in 2018.
The 68-year-old Congress leader has positioned himself at the forefront of the Kannada identity fight and against the Centre’s perceived attempt to impose Hindi. He is also basking in the glory of conducting one of the biggest conferences on Dalit icon BR Ambedkar last week.
This is in line with some of his government’s measures that are seen as appealing to Kannada sub-nationalism tendencies. His latest move is setting up of a committee to look into the legality of having a state flag.
KANNADA IDENTITY
In January, the Congress government proposed 100% reservation for locals in blue-collar private sector jobs. Later, it ordered making Kannada mandatory in schools, and the singing of the official state anthem compulsory.
Earlier this month, when the use of Hindi in signboards at metro stations in the city kicked up a row, Siddaramaiah said it was a state project and, hence, the Centre’s three-language policy was not applicable.
According to political analyst Narendar Pani, Siddaramaiah’s proactive approach caught the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) napping. “These were essentially issues the BJP used to champion. It is interesting that even the JD(S) kept quiet over the flag controversy,” said Pani, who teaches at the National Institute of Advanced Studies. For political watchers, the Congress state unit is projecting itself as a regional force, whereas the BJP state unit has lost room to manoeuvre.
AGAINST YEDDYURAPPA
Siddaramaiah hasn’t backed off from taking on the opposition. At a recent convention of Lingayats, believed to be the BJP’s biggest support base in the state, he assured them he would convey to the Centre their demand to be classified as a separate religion.
By wading into the separate religion demand, Siddaramaiah has also taken the battle to BS Yeddyurappa, the BJP’s chief ministerial face and an influential Lingayat leader. Yeddyurappa, under whose leadership the BJP formed its first government in south India on its own in Karnataka in 2008, said on Sunday that Lingayats should remain within the Hindu religion.
Siddaramaiah’s decision to form the committee on the state flag also saw Yeddyurappa struggle to respond. Initially, the BJP leader criticised its formation, but changed stance the next day.
THE CASTE QUESTION
At the Ambedkar conference, Siddaramaiah recalled instances of discrimination he faced as a child and said, “Only those who have faced discrimination can understand it, get angry about it, and have the will to change it.”
Political analyst MK Raghavendra acknowledged the early start, but cautioned that tapping into patronage networks might not necessarily bring success. “The UP polls have shown PM Narendra Modi’s appeal potentially stretches across interest groups,” he said.