By Shaik Zakeer Hussain, TwoCircles.net,
Bengaluru: The Karnataka election result was a clear indication that, clean and stable governance is still the basic ingredient to win people’s hearts and minds.
BJP, which branded itself as a party with a difference, when it was first elected to power in 2008, betrayed people’s expectations, mostly by busying itself in political antiques and caring less for the ones who voted them to power.
People’s mandate against the BJP has no one, but the party itself to be blamed. Its five year term in the state was marred with incidences of corruption, spread of communalism, and attacks on minority communities, women and scores of scams.
It had three chief ministers in five years, its ministers were found watching porn videos in the assembly, and it gave official patronage to the Bellary mining mafia, further denting its public image.
“It was misgovernance, instability and constant in-fighting among party members and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s, breakaway that resulted in its defeat,” said Manohar Elavarthi, social activist and Joint Secretary, Praja Rajakiya Vedike, while speaking to TCN.
Though no one was hoping that the party would win, but this utter debacle came as a complete shocker. The coastal belt of Karnataka, which was considered as a Hindutva bastion, went down the drain, when stalwart like Krishna Palemar lost to Congress’s Mohiudeen Bava, a Muslim candidate and U T Khader won the Mangalore constituency.
Even the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, K S Eshwarappa was not spared by voters in party stronghold Shimoga, where he faced a humiliating defeat.
BJP’s performance is a lesson to political parties, who take responsibility lightly and the people of Karnataka only hope that Congress has understood this.
“As a citizen I hope that the Congress party delivers what they promised in their manifesto; provide a stable corruption-free government, follow the rule-of-law and implement the ideals of the constitution, particularly in favour of the marginalised communities,” added Manohar Elavarthi.