Challenges Before the New Chief Minister
By selecting Basavaraj Bommai as the new Karnataka Chief Minister, the BJP Central leaders have taken a smart decision. The Sangh Parivar-backed group within the BJP which planned to snatch power from the Lingayats in the State has beaten a retreat at least for the time being. At the same time, however, it has succeeded only partially in its first attempt. Having realized the strength of the outgoing Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and the Lingayat lobby which backed him to the hilt, the Sangh-Parivar group had to make amends to its original plan. The developments in Karnataka are thus seen as the BJP’s central leadership giving in to Yediyurappa by choosing one of his close confidantes for the hot seat. The RSS and the Central leadership will now keep a close watch on the new dispensation and will keep experimenting their agenda and push it ahead wherever possible during the two years before the next Assembly elections.
Compared to the known faces in BJP, the selection of Basavaraj Bommai is an excellent choice both for the state and for the BJP. The Central leadership’s selection was unexpected for the Hindutva hardliners in the BJP. By choosing Bommai, who has a history of working with Siddaramaiah, who is not identified prominently with the RSS and most importantly, is a confidante of Yediyurappa, the BJP leaders saved the state from the rule of a Hindutva hardliner. His choice must have come as a surprise to Bommai himself. His father S.R.Bommai became the Chief Minister in similar unexpected circumstances in 1988 and was in the post only for eight months. Power that comes unexpectedly can be lost as unexpectedly. If Basavaraja Bommai has internalized this lesson from his father’s experience, he will know how to moderate his own expectations from the post, given the current situation in the BJP.
Given the track record of the institutionalized corruption during Yediyurappa’s rule, it will be futile to expect the state’s administration to be back on the rails with a mere change of Chief Minister. If the Centre continues its step-motherly treatment of the state in providing funds, the new Chief Minister will also become helpless. When Yediyurappa was the Chief Minister, the Centre did not release the full share of GST to the state and repeatedly turned down the state’s request for adequate compensation during droughts and floods. The Central leadership did not back Yediyurappa politically either. He was not allowed to expand his cabinet for months after he was sworn in as Chief Minister in 2019. If only his cabinet colleagues had cooperated with him fully, Yediyurappa would have been able to give a much better administration. As he was making futile trips to Delhi to convince the Centre to release more funds, the State’s contingent of 25 MPs from his party did not come to his help. Instead they sided with the Centre and issued open statements that the State had adequate funds. That was at a time when Yediyurappa was staring at an empty treasury. The new Chief Minister can do any good to the state only if all these change in the coming days.
It is foolish to assume that the selection of Basavaraj Bommai will end dissidence in the BJP. Those who were personally dissatisfied with Yeddiyurappa might have found solace with his replacement but the source of their grouse was not addressed. Senior leader Jagadish Shettar has stated already that he will not join the new cabinet. Another senior leader Eshwarappa has demanded the post of the deputy Chief Minister. A group of seers from his Kuruba caste have voiced this demand on his behalf. Other prominent leaders such as Yatnal and Umesh Katti are sharpening their knives. Legislators in the pro-Yediyurappa group are obviously hurt. The new cabinet will have to accommodate the opposition turncoats whose support is crucial for the government to survive. In addition to all this, the silence of RSS leaders can also be analyzed in different ways. The new Chief Minister has said that he will take Yediyurappa’s guidance for administration. However, if Yediyurappa starts interfering in the administration, it will give rise to fresh problems. Similarly, if Bommai keeps Yediyurappa and his son at a distance, the father and son duo will start groupism within the party and may even lead a breakaway faction. Yediyurappa’s son has allegedly amassed such wealth during the two years of his father’s rule.
Most importantly, RSS which has not been able to implement its game plan fully can continue to sponsor groupism within the party to push for the kind of change that it wants to see in the government. It will obviously want to back leaders such as Prahlad Joshi, B L Santhosh, or Tejaswi Surya as Chief Ministers as they are the main torch bearers of its ideology.
If Bommai is able to provide good administration despite such challenges lined up before him, it would truly be his achievement. It is the duty of the Central leaders and RSS leaders therefore to cooperate with Bommai to provide good administration to the state that is reeling under Coronavirus, lockdown, and floods. Karnataka does not have the strength or the patience to witness yet another change in Chief Ministers before the next elections due in early 2022.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Russian military hardware, spare parts for Indian military to be manufactured in India
New Delhi (PTI): Russia agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of military hardware and spare parts for maintenance of Russian-origin arms and defence equipment.
Ways to bolster overall bilateral defence cooperation figured prominently during summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
It has been a long-standing grievance of armed forces that the supply of critical spares and equipment from Russia takes a long time, affecting the maintenance of military systems procured from that country.
"Both sides agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of spare parts, components, aggregates and other products for maintenance of Russian origin arms and defence equipment under Make-in-India programme through transfer of technology," a joint statement said.
ALSO READ: India, Russia explore cooperation on small modular reactors, floating nuclear power plants
It said both sides also agreed to set up joint ventures for meeting the needs of the Indian armed forces as well as subsequent export to mutually friendly third countries.
The joint statement said the India-Russia defence partnership is being reoriented to take up joint co-development and co-production of advanced defence technology and systems.
In their meeting on Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov resolved to expand bilateral defence cooperation.
In the meeting, the Indian side showed keen interest in procurement of additional batches of S-400 missile systems from Moscow to bolster its combat prowess.
In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding a warning by the US that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions under the provisions of Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Three squadrons have already been delivered.
The S-400 systems played a crucial role during Operation Sindoor. India may also look at procuring the S-500 missile systems from Russia.
In the Modi-Putin talks, the two sides also agreed to continue jointly developing systems of bilateral trade settlements through the use of national currencies.
Additionally, the two sides agreed to continue their consultations on enabling the interoperability of the national payment systems, financial messaging systems, as well as central bank digital currency platforms.
Modi and Putin appreciated the ongoing intensification of the joint work on a free trade agreement on goods between India and the Eurasian Economic Union, covering sectors of mutual interest, the joint statement said.
They also directed both sides to intensify efforts in negotiations on a mutually beneficial agreement on the promotion and protection of investment, it said.
India and Russia also welcomed steps to ensure long-term supply of fertilisers to India and discussed the potential establishment of joint ventures in this area.
