What a victory for the BJP in Karnataka and what a way to celebrate this victory. Mr Nalin Kumar Kateel, the newly elected MP from Mangalore, says that he would continue to work for the hindutva ideologies.
Mr Nalin Kumar Kateel please clarify to the people of your constituency as to what you mean by the hindutva ideologies. Does it mean more and more attacks on the minorities or would you take this coastal land back to its glorious days of peaceful coexistence of different communities?
The 15th Loksabha election results have surprised one and all. The results suggest a clear mandate in favour of the Congress and the UPA. There are many theories which explain this turnaround by the Congress and the UPA.
The 15th Loksabha elections were mainly fought on issues like security and stability. The voters have made their choice and have elected a government, though a coalition, that would provide them with security and stability. This, in general, is the trend in most parts of the country.
Coming down to Karnataka, however, the situation is different. The state has witnessed frequent incidents of communal disturbances particularly after the BJP was voted to power. This being the situation, there was a high likelihood of BJP biting the dust for its role, either tacit or explicit, in supporting its various outfits that sought to vitiate the communal harmony in the state.
Unfortunately, the results don’t reflect a rejection of the so called ‘communal’ party. Again, there are many theories to explain this trend. As per one theory, it is not that the majority of people voted for BJP but the majority of people voted for different secular parties/candidates and it was this split of secular votes that brought victory to the BJP.
While it may be true that in some constituencies (Bangalore and Mangalore) the floating population would have contributed to this swing in favour of BJP, but what about other constituencies where there is less likelihood of the presence of outside population (Chikkodi and Chitradurga)?
The theories apart, what is in store for the people of Karnataka now that 19 seats have gone the saffron way? Would some districts like Mangalore, Udupi, Chikmaglore, Davanagere and Hubli have a repeat of communal incidents? Would the BJP resort to hard core hindutva strategies and further malign the secular atmosphere in this state?
If instead, the BJP reinvents itself and works more aggressively on its promises of better governance and inclusive development???
Would this be a reality? When?
Would I be a pessimist turned optimist? When?
The global financial crisis has taken its toll. Some even say it is worse than the depression of 1930s. Whatever the truth, we know that many companies have gone bankrupt. Lakhs of people have lost their jobs. But this global downturn hasn’t affected the present ruling government in Karnataka. The huge money spent on renovating and furnishing the ministers’ bungalows and then our chief minister’s official temple visits have cost the state exchequer over 3 crores.
link: http://www.prajavani.net/Content/Apr302009/state20090429126547.asp?section=updatenews
We need to applaud the initiative of social activist Mr Bhimappa Gundappa Gadada who managed to obtain this information through RTI Act.
The better governance promised by the BJP government hasn’t become a reality even after being in the office for over 11 months now. Well, who knows what they meant by better performance?
