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Karnataka’s contribution to national political lexicon is ‘resort politics’ | Opinion
If “Aya Ram – Gaya Ram” politics (of overnight switching of loyalties) was Haryana’s contribution to the national political lexicon, Karnataka can say that “resort politics” is its contribution.
With national political attention firmly fixed on the fate of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, the key to its survival rests on the final decision of the 19 MLAs supporting Jyotiraditya Scindia, who are currently in a luxury resort on the outskirts of Bangalore. While all the 19 MLAs supporting Scindia have sent in their resignations, till the speaker accepts them or the Governor intervenes, there can be several more twists in the tale.
However, there is a sense of déjà vu as what is known in India as “resort politics” takes centre stage again. If “Aya Ram – Gaya Ram” politics (of overnight switching of loyalties) was Haryana’s contribution to the national political lexicon, Karnataka can say that “resort politics” is its contribution.
As early as August 1984, when the Congress tried to topple the nascent Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government of NT Rama Rao (NTR) — when he was away in the US for an angiogram — by encouraging Nadendala Bhaskar Rao to try and split the party, it was Karnataka which came to NTR’s rescue. The then CM of Karnataka and Janata Party stalwart, Ramakrishna Hegde, at the request of NTR, sequestered TDP MLAs at a resort on the outskrits of Bangalore. This helped NTR in ensuring no other TDP legislators were lured by the Bhaskar Rao faction. The rebellion was quelled in just a month with Bhaskar Rao going down as a chief minister with one of the shortest tenures in India as NTR returned to power.
This is a template which has since been used repeatedly by all political parties. Legislators being shifted to more conducive political climates even as background machinations take place to form or topple a government. What has changed, though, is unlike in 1984, when legislators were ferried in luxury private buses, they are now taken on chartered planes.
Even the current BJP government in Karnataka, headed by Yediyurappa, was formed after 17 Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) legislators were sent in chartered flights to Mumbai where they stayed at a five star hotel under the protection of the then Devendra Fadnavis led BJP government. Similarly, Gujarat Congress legislators were sent to Karnataka when the party felt efforts were being made to break it ahead of a crucial Rajya Sabha election.
Prof Harish Ramaswamy, who teaches political science at Karnataka University, says, “Increasingly, as ideological lines blur, only power seems to be the glue which can hold parties together and unfortunately legislators seem to be ready to switch sides for the sake of power. It is not a healthy development for the polity in the long run, whichever side one is on. Given that it was the pioneer in resort politics, it is interesting that the state is again playing a role in determining the survival of Madhya Pradesh government.”
