Will have to wait and see if there is political instability in Karnataka after May 23: Yeddyurappa
Bengaluru, May 4: Amid unease in the ruling Congress-JDS ties, BJP's Karnataka chief B S Yeddyurappa Saturday said his party would win 22 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the State and one would have to wait and see if there would be political instability after the results are out on May 23.
Not willing to divulge anything on the BJP's plan of action after the election results are out, the former Chief Minister claimed there was confusion between the ruling coalition partners.
"I'm confident and I have been saying this since the beginning that we will win 22 seats. Hundred per cent, we will win 22 seats, after that whatever ups and downs that will happen in politics, we have to wait and see- that is all...
I don't want to say anything on that," Yeddyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "We will have to win the by-elections for two assembly seats (Chincholi and Kundgol on May 19) also, so I will start travelling from tomorrow."
Citing recent statements of chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda and senior Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah, he said "There is lot of confusion between Congress and JDS..there is speculation...but everything will depend on Lok Sabha poll results," he said.
"We will have to wait and see if there will be political instability in the state after the results are out on May 23..."
Karnataka Forest Minister Satish Jarkiholi earlier had alleged that the BJP would try to destabilise the Congress-JDS coalition government in the state if it repeats its 2014 Lok Sabha polls performance.
Speaking to reporters at Belagavi, he said, "If they (BJP) get more seats, they will try (to dislodge the government)... If they get similar to 2014, they will try. As of now it looks like they will get less, in such a case they will not indulge in Operation Kamala."
"Operation Kamala" (Operation Lotus) refers to the successful attempt of the BJP to engineer the defection of opposition legislators to ensure the stability of the B S Yeddyurappa government in Karnataka in 2008.
As Lok Sabha polls drew to a close in Karnataka with the completion of two phase polling, speculation about the longevity of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government had once again come to the fore, with Yeddyurappa on April 23 predicting its collapse once the results are out on May 23.
There are talks in political circles that any adverse results for the coalition in the Lok Sabha polls, which they fought in alliance, will have its implications on the Kumaraswamy-led government.
Also, rebel Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has been hobnobbing with BJP for some time now has been threatening that he along with other MLAs would resign from the party soon in bulk, which has caused fear among the ruling coalition as it would trigger the number game in the assembly.
BJP leader and MLA Sriramulu told reporters at Hubballi that the government would face "danger" once the results are out.
"It is clear that this government will not survive for long. There is a big danger to this government after this election process is over.There will be big changes after May 23..."
Adding to the worry of the ruling coalition is also a meeting of "like-minded" MLAs that is likely to take place under the leadership of Congress legislator S T Somashekar, soon after the May 19 assembly bypolls, to discuss issues faced by MLAs under the coalition government and long-pending development work.
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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.
