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.
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.
