JD(S) must be cleansed first to unite Parivar: S. Madhu Bangarappa Sorab

After playing the key role in preventing the BJP from capturing Shivamogga zilla panchayat in the hometown of party state president B.S. Yeddyurappa, Sorab MLA and son of former chief minister S. Bangarappa, Mr Madhu Bangarappa has become a shrewd politician and is aiming to  unite the divided Janata Parivar before the 2018 assembly elections. In an interview with Deccan Chronicle in Shivamogga Mr Bangarappa shared his views on the political scenario in the state. Excerpts:

The Assembly election will be held in 2018. Do you think the old Janata Parivar will unite and become a new force in state politics?

Yes. There is a need for unification of the old Janata Parivar to become a new force. Most of the people who had gone away from the Janata Parivar are now in the Congress and BJP. To make the unification a reality, first my house -JD(S)- should become clean. There is a problem within the JD(S) which only we can resolve. As the election mood grips the state, we can expect a lot of developments. At any cost, the JD(S) will not be divided.

Since the JD(S) top leadership is opposing the Congress government led by Chief  Minister Siddaramaiah and favours an alliance with BJP in most zilla panchayats where there was a hung verdict, why did you go with the Congress in Shivamogga zilla panchayat?

There are pre-poll alliances and post election alliances. When there is no clear majority like it happened in the ZP, the options are open for all individual parties to try their luck to gain power. Apart from this, there will be independent candidates who can also play a key role.

Shivamogga with a history of socialist movements, has been a place for new experiments in politics, which can have an impact on state politics. Many leaders from Shivamogga like S. Bangarappa, J.H. Patel, Kadidal Manjappa and Yeddyurappa ruled the state.

Late Bangarappa too faced corruption allegations when he was in power like Mr Yeddyurappa but before he died, Bangarappa was declared the cleanest politician. Allegation against a chief minister are a serious issue but nowadays, politicians are roaming around freely even though they are facing
criminal cases.

Mr Yeddyurappa began ‘Operation  Kamala’ which goes against the basis tenets of  democracy. Leaders were more concerned about minting money than fulfilling the aspirations of people of their constituencies.

I wanted to put an end to the bad culture which started with Operation Kamala. In the meantime, there were rumours that JD(S) leaders had sold themselves to the BJP which wanted to hold on to power in the zilla panchayat. So I decided to take a different route.

But how did the alliance with the Congress actually happen?

Many BJP district leaders and also Congress leaders approached me to strike an alliance. Mr Vijaykumar, husband of Independent candidate (Congress rebel) Ms Veda Vijaykumar, was a close confidant of Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar and we had to approach them to gain power in the ZP.

Mr Vijaykumar put the condition that if Madhu Bangarappa came to his house and invited him, they would go with the Congress-JD(S) alliance. I was abroad and went directly from Bengaluru to Mr Vijaykumar’s house in Shivamogga. They agreed to join us without any conditions.

So, the JD(S) was able to win the ZPs without engaging in bad politics. I am happy that Operation Kamala failed here.  As soon as Mr Yeddyurappa became chief of the state BJP unit, many BJP leaders boasted that he would become chief minister. But to achieve that post, he has to seek the blessings of the people. He even played a gimmick to appease the Dalits by taking charge on Ambedkar Jayanti day.

Do you have plans for a long-term alliance with the Congress to defeat BJP in the district in the 2018 assembly elections?

No. This is a post-election alliance which happens at the local level, it has nothing to do with the 2018 election. The JD(S) will compete against Congress and BJP in the elections. There is no question of a pre-election alliance either with Congress or the BJP. The Congress which has 120 plus MLAs will aim at 150-170 seats and the mood in the BJP camp is such that their leaders have already shared  portfolios in the run-up to the state elections. So, how can we go with them?

If your party strikes an alliance with the BJP in the coming days, what is your plan, will you endorse it?

At the local level, alliances depend on the situation. We need to explore options when there is no clear majority.

How much has the JD(S)  benefited in its bid to check BJP in Shivamogga following your alliance with the Congress?

Right now in Shivamogga. there are three JD(S) MLAs including myself. The party will definitely put up a brave fight against the two national parties which are guided by the high commands in Delhi. There is a chance for the JD(S) to better its performance and win more seats than the previous election.

After former chief minister and Shivamogga MP B.S. Yeddyurappa was appointed as state unit president, he is in an aggressive mood. Do you think his appointment will help strengthen the party in Shivamogga? If so what is your plan to retain your base in Sorab and other constituencies?

Mr Yeddyurappa’s appointment as state BJP president will definitely help in strengthening the party in Shivamogga. But local BJP leaders and state leaders should act fairly and democratically to achieve their goals in 2018. They could gain people’s love if they drop bad practices like ‘Operation Kamala.’ With regard to Sorab constituency, I am confident of retaining it in 2018 because of the pro-people projects I have launched. Priority has been given to ensure water supply to each village.