Bengaluru: While some Congress leaders seem to be inspired by the Maharashtra developments to attempt a revival of the coalition government in Karnataka post the Deccember 5 bypolls, a few senior leaders of the Janata Dal (S) are worried it could boomerang on both parties and invite a backlash from the Lingayats.
A former JD(S) minister warns that if any attempt is made to overthrow the BJP government of B.S. Yediyurappa, it will only create sympathy for him, especially in Mumbai-Karnataka and Hyderabad-Karnataka, where his community of Lingayats plays a decisive role in elections.
“Talk about forming a Congress- JD(S) coalition government will only prove advantageous to the saffron party,” he contended. In his view, if the BJP fails to win from even eight of the 15 constituencies these bypolls, it may simply opt for another round of poaching of Congress and JD(S) legislators to make up the tally it needs to survive in government. Already a dozen MLAs of both the Congress and JD(S) are ready to jump ship and are only waiting for the opportune time , according to him.
Another leader from North Karnataka too says it will be suicidal for the Congress and JD(S) to once again attempt forming a coalition government when the incumbent government is headed by a powerful Lingayat leader. "It could lead to a repetition of 2008 when the BJP came back to power with Yediyurappa as the Chief Minister.
The Congress and the JD(S) may have got their hopes up on seeing the three- party coalition government come to power in Maharashtra, but there is no certainty about its survival and in Karnataka, when there has already been a divorce between the two parties, are the people fools to believe they want to be together again seeing how (Congress leader) Siddaramaiah, (JDS supremo) H D Deve Gowda and (former CM) H.D. Kumaraswamy have been fighting after the fall of the coalition government?" he asked, also warning that the Lingayat voters could tolerate anything but an insult to their supremo, Yediyurappa.
Claiming that the Congress is trying to mislead the JD(S) on the issue, he says both Mr Deve Gowda and Mr Kumaraswamy must be careful "not to fall into its trap.”
