There is no diplomatic way around this so will just say this upfront —the BJP has a disaster in the making if it doesn’t do something about the Karnataka situation. CM B S Yeddyurappa, has to resign. Yep, he’s got to go. Someone needs to give Yeddy a teddy and kiss him goodbye.
It is stating the obvious, but you cannot run a national campaign against corruption and continue to back a corruptiontainted leader. In every press conference, every news article about the BJP, the ‘Karnataka situation’ is raised. The BJP continues to dodge it, hoping the issue will go away. It hasn’t.
So doesn’t the BJP know this is hurting its credibility? Is it not aware that all this JPC noise will come to nothing if it is seen as no different from Congress when it comes to corruption ?
Of course, the BJP leadership knows. Perhaps, they have evaluated the alternatives and come to the conclusion that keeping Yeddyurappa around is a lesser evil. The BJP top brass knows politics and i’m no political expert. But the party may be miscalculating the benefits of keeping Yeddy on. In particular, the BJP is underestimating three aspects of this. One, the ammunition being provided to Congress, which has much better PR than the BJP. It will take action on its accused , perhaps jailing people and making a huge noise about it all. Meanwhile, the BJP will have done nothing and Karnataka will be proof of its ineptness.
Two, the Yeddy issue is causing damage to the BJP’s reputation , especially in the English media, which was beginning to warm to the party. The BJP’s fundamentalism made it a punching bag for the influential English media for a long time. But more recently, we saw some support for the BJP, not least for its restraint on the Ayodhya verdict and good governance in some of the states it ruled. That warmth could easily disappear if the party doesn’t act on Yeddy.
Third, keeping Yeddy is demotivating for the party’s younger troops, many of whom joined the party expecting it to be a meritocracy and with firm principles and ethics. While these young people are not protesting openly, there are murmurs questioning the leadership . A lack of motivation among young party workers can be detrimental at election time.
It is stating the obvious, but you cannot run a national campaign against corruption and continue to back a corruptiontainted leader. In every press conference, every news article about the BJP, the ‘Karnataka situation’ is raised. The BJP continues to dodge it, hoping the issue will go away. It hasn’t.
So doesn’t the BJP know this is hurting its credibility? Is it not aware that all this JPC noise will come to nothing if it is seen as no different from Congress when it comes to corruption ?
Of course, the BJP leadership knows. Perhaps, they have evaluated the alternatives and come to the conclusion that keeping Yeddyurappa around is a lesser evil. The BJP top brass knows politics and i’m no political expert. But the party may be miscalculating the benefits of keeping Yeddy on. In particular, the BJP is underestimating three aspects of this. One, the ammunition being provided to Congress, which has much better PR than the BJP. It will take action on its accused , perhaps jailing people and making a huge noise about it all. Meanwhile, the BJP will have done nothing and Karnataka will be proof of its ineptness.
Two, the Yeddy issue is causing damage to the BJP’s reputation , especially in the English media, which was beginning to warm to the party. The BJP’s fundamentalism made it a punching bag for the influential English media for a long time. But more recently, we saw some support for the BJP, not least for its restraint on the Ayodhya verdict and good governance in some of the states it ruled. That warmth could easily disappear if the party doesn’t act on Yeddy.
Third, keeping Yeddy is demotivating for the party’s younger troops, many of whom joined the party expecting it to be a meritocracy and with firm principles and ethics. While these young people are not protesting openly, there are murmurs questioning the leadership . A lack of motivation among young party workers can be detrimental at election time.
All of this will come back to bite the party later, but by then, it will be too late. Quite frankly, if the BJP aspires to return to running the country, Yeddy has to go. The party made rapid strides last year, as scam after scam left a defensive Congress government red-faced . This Yeddy issue is like a stone in a marathon runner’s shoe. If not removed, it will prevent running the race fast. Worse, the stone could cause septic injury, which might make it difficult to race again.
So why is it so difficult to make Yeddy go? For one, the BJP is run like a collaborative partnership and a lot more consensus is required than the high command-driven Congress party.
Yeddy also has solid credentials . He is a BJP/Jan Sangh/ RSS veteran and has served since the Emergency. He is the first BJP leader to win a southern state, has a good development record and is extremely popular in Karnataka, particularly in the Lingayat community (around one-fifth of the state’s population). In fact, the BJP did extremely well in the state’s recent municipal elections.
So why is it so difficult to make Yeddy go? For one, the BJP is run like a collaborative partnership and a lot more consensus is required than the high command-driven Congress party.
Yeddy also has solid credentials . He is a BJP/Jan Sangh/ RSS veteran and has served since the Emergency. He is the first BJP leader to win a southern state, has a good development record and is extremely popular in Karnataka, particularly in the Lingayat community (around one-fifth of the state’s population). In fact, the BJP did extremely well in the state’s recent municipal elections.
Making Yeddy resign could have various negative outcomes. He could join the opposition (though it is unlikely Congress would take him, given the taint), create another party or even erode the party’s base. Still, all fallouts are state-specific and can be contained. Yes, there is a risk of losing the state. But if he stays, there is a risk of losing the nation. The BJP has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to return to power and stay there. Inflation and corruption are perfect campaign platforms . If it cannot convert this opportunity to victory, it won’t be a defeat like any other. It would mean the BJP can never win, even in the best of circumstances . Such a loser tag is enormously detrimental, especially among young people, who prize success above anything else. It is also detrimental for the nation’s spirit. For, it would mean that without caste and dynasty equations, you cannot win an election, no matter how valid the issue. Therefore, it is important to deal with the ‘Karnataka situation’ as swiftly as possible.
A word to the Lingayat community. It is wonderful to be loyal to your own. But loyalty does not mean supporting wrongdoers . A corrupt Lingayat leader is first and foremost, just a corrupt leader. Keeping him in power merely gives the community a bad name. The Lingayats are known for their code of honour . I’m sure there are other honest leaders you can support, and help build a better nation in the process.
Finally, Mr Yeddy, sometimes it isn’t just about oneself. There are greater causes and greater issues that must be addressed . If you feel you’ve done no wrong, step away, let the allegations be proven wrong and come back stronger. Don’t damage the party’s chances, and certainly don’t damage the spirit of Indian society just to hold on to apost that will go, one day, in any case. After all, none of us is going to be around forever. Right, Mr Yeddy?
A word to the Lingayat community. It is wonderful to be loyal to your own. But loyalty does not mean supporting wrongdoers . A corrupt Lingayat leader is first and foremost, just a corrupt leader. Keeping him in power merely gives the community a bad name. The Lingayats are known for their code of honour . I’m sure there are other honest leaders you can support, and help build a better nation in the process.
Finally, Mr Yeddy, sometimes it isn’t just about oneself. There are greater causes and greater issues that must be addressed . If you feel you’ve done no wrong, step away, let the allegations be proven wrong and come back stronger. Don’t damage the party’s chances, and certainly don’t damage the spirit of Indian society just to hold on to apost that will go, one day, in any case. After all, none of us is going to be around forever. Right, Mr Yeddy?