The State is witnessing political heat as the Opposition BJP-JD(S) coalition is taking out a Mysuru chalo padayatra to put pressure on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to quit in connection with the alleged irregularities. The ruling Congress too has launched the Janandolana campaign to counter the Opposition’s move.
The campaigns have gained significance in the wake of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot issuing a show-cause notice to the Chief Minister with respect to the alleged irregularities in MUDA.
Padayatras have always played a crucial role in the State’s politics, but the two ongoing high-voltage campaigns by the rival political groups have caught public attention for all the wrong reasons as they have lowered the standard of political discourse owing to bitter personal attacks by prominent leaders.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar addressing the gathering at ‘Janandolana’, a public meeting against the BJP’s padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru on August 3, 2024 | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
In singular
Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar, who is spearheading the Janandolana campaign, and Union Minister and JD(S) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy, who is the rallying point for the Opposition padayatra, have been trading barbs at the personal level almost daily. In fact, the two leaders are referring to each other in the singular too.
Personal attacks between them have reached crescendo as the padayatra is passing through Ramanagara and Mandya in which the JD(S) has strong influence, making it a fight for supremacy in the Vokkaliga hotbed.
The personal attacks between the two leaders appear to have deviated the rival campaigns from their main focus. While the Opposition is targeting the Deputy Chief Minister instead of targeting the Chief Minister, the Congress campaign is solely targeting Mr. Kumaraswamy instead of clarifying on the allegations of irregularities. Some senior Congress leaders wondered why Mr. Shivakumar has “put himself in such a situation” of becoming the Opposition’s target.
Caution to all
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former Minister S. Suresh Kumar has appealed to political leaders to desist from public attacks as they send a wrong message to the younger generation. “It will be a disaster if everyone takes abusive discourse as a model of public communication,” he said in a statement. He suggested that the Kannada Development Authority play a role in organising a workshop to help political leaders engage in public communication without resorting to abuses.
Published - August 08, 2024 09:51 pm IST
