Karnataka BJP's public image takes a severe beating

The BS Yediyurappa led one-month-old Bharatiya Janata Party government is in the news these days for all the wrong reasons. The party's public image no doubt has taken a back seat following such piquant situation! For whatsoever reasons warranting such an adverse situation, the ordinary workers, sympathisers and leaders appear to be undergoing an uneasy calm as a fallout of such a plight.

Interestingly or rather hopelessly, this strange turnabout of things has taken shape since the very day BS Yediyurappa was sworn in as the Chief Minister on 26 July 2019. Although he took over the oath of office and secrecy on 26 July, he had to wait till 20 August for getting a nod to expand his lone member cabinet! And till that period he went on touring the flood-affected areas all alone in the capacity of a CM without any members in his cabinet. This plight was enough for the opposition Indian National Congress(INC) and Janata-Dal Secular(JD-S) leaders to have a dig now and then at the former.

Luckily for him, this predicament changed for the better. BS Yediyurappa inducted 17 new ministers to his cabinet on 20 August. It looked then that now everything is set for the government to keep going steadfast.But his woes never ended there and instead gave rise to many more. Umesh Katti, six times MLA from the sugar-rich Belagavi district was upset. So was Balachandra Jharkiholi, three terms legislator again from the same district.

The cabinet was expanded but lacked representation for more than half of the total 30 districts. A few places across the state also witnessed protest demonstrations against the treatment to their districts. Police had to cane unruly protesters who went on a rampage in Chitradurga. The upset aspirants for ministerial berths made use of all media platforms to vent their anger in public. A few of them also confessed-We never realised that our loyalty to the party will be taken for granted in this manner...Probably we have done a wrong thing by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party! Although 17 new ministers were sworn in on 20 August they remained ministers without portfolios till the afternoon of 26 August.

According to official sources, the list of allocation of ministries to the new ministers has reached the Raj Bhavan from the CM's office. The allocation of berths will likely be announced during the day.
BS Yediyurappa's challenges don't look like ending with cabinet formation and allocation of berths to the new ministers. The disgruntled lot needs to be appeased as soon as better before the situation goes off control. 14 Congress and Three JD-S MLAs' disqualified for resigning their Assembly seats are desperately awaiting to become ministers. They are literally on their toes to don the new roles. However, they aren't destined as the apex court is yet to take up their case for hearing! Today BS Yediyurappa may have accomplished his fond dream of becoming the chief minister once again. But in spite of being one, he looks to appear like a sad person if one were to notice his tensed face from early morning till late in the evening.

-Manohar Yadavatti

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