oppn parties Karnataka: Finally, A Compromise Solution Is Found

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  • India beat Pakistan 3-2 in SAFF Championship. India defeated Pakistan in a closely contested match, having led 3-0 before conceding two late goals. The victory was reported as a significant result for India's second-string side
  • India beat Japan 4-1 to win a record sixth Asian Champions Trophy. India recovered from an early deficit to defeat Japan in the final at Mohali, extending its record as the tournament's most successful men's team
  • The Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and the Election Commission on a petition challenging Section 16 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which grants the CEC and Election Commissioners protection from legal proceedings for acts performed in their official duties. The petition argues that such blanket immunity could leave citizens without an effective remedy for alleged wrongdoing by the Commission
  • The Supreme Court told voters whose names were deleted from Delhi's draft electoral rolls not to be apprehensive about seeking re-enrolment through Form 6, after the Election Commission assured it that such applicants would not be prosecuted merely because their names had appeared in earlier rolls
  • Congress leader Rahul Gandhi opened the party's campaign for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections with an Insaaf rally in Sangrur, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's home district, accusing the AAP government of failing to control drugs, gangster violence and corruption. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge outlined six commitments, including a drug-free Punjab, protection of farmers, employment for young people and action against corruption
  • Rahul Gandhi accused the AAP government of running Punjab through a remote control from Delhi and questioned Bhagwant Mann's ability to tackle drug abuse, making personal allegations about the Chief Minister's conduct during their time together in Parliament
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Karnataka: Finally, A Compromise Solution Is Found

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2023-05-19 05:39:34

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

The situation the Congress found itself in Karnataka was strikingly similar to the one it encountered in Rajasthan in 2018. Now, the tug-of-war was between the seasoned campaigner Siddaramaiah and the hard-working organization man D K Shivakumar. Then it was between the wily Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot. The compromise formula worked out in Karnataka is also exactly similar with the hard core politician, who had the backing of a majority of MLAs, getting the top post and the man who toiled hard on the ground becoming his deputy.

The Congress will now hope that the script, from here onwards, does not unfold like the one in Rajasthan where Gehlot and Pilot have not been able to bury their hatchet (in fact, Pilot had rebelled in 2020 but backed off due to lack of numbers and promises made to him by the high command) and their fights have become increasingly frequent and uglier. The party can ill afford to have the Rajasthan scenario in Karnataka as the ground situation in the state is different and after the non-performing Bommai government's tenure, the state needs the party to keep its promises and govern the state well to meet the aspirations of the people.

It is not known what promises have been made to Shivakumar for him to agree to be the deputy chief minister. But if those promises are not kept by the high command, things might get bad in Karnataka too. This is something which the party needs to keep a close watch on as though Siddaramaiah has the numbers, any tiff between him and Shivakumar will allow the BJP to fish in troubled waters. Further, given the fact that the party has to look after the many contradictions in the state, it needs to stand united to provide good governance for the next five years.