After LS poll rout, Karnataka cabinet reposes faith in Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru: A day after suffering a rout in the Lok Sabha elections, the Karnataka cabinet Friday reposed its 'faith and confidence' in the leadership of chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, asserting the Congress-JD(S) coalition would continue.
Briefing reporters after an informal cabinet meeting convened to take stock of the dismal show of the coalition partners, deputy chief minister G Parameshwara said the mandate on Thursday was for the government at the Centre and not for the state.
Accusing the opposition BJP of trying to destabilise the government, Parameshwara said the ruling coalition would not allow them to succeed.
"... we have reposed our faith and confidence in the leadership of chief minister Kumaraswamy. This is the decision taken by all the ministers today," said Parameshwara.
Asserting that all their MLAs were with them, he said the coalition would continue under Kumaraswamy's leadership and that there was no threat to the government.
Steamrolling the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance, the BJP Thursday had scored a resounding win bagging 25 out of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats in an outcome that left the one-year old Kumaraswamy government in a tizzy over its stability.
With the BJP dealing a hammer blow, the Congress and JD(S)managed to win only one seat each, indicating that neither arithmetic nor chemistry worked for the two which apparently has failed to reconcile with each other at the ground level.
This is said to be the worst-ever performance by the Congress in the state as against a record of sorts by the BJP.
Karnataka emerged as the bright spot for the saffron party in the South with other neighbouring states bucking the "Modi magic".
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
