Updated: December 13, 2020 7:22:14 am
Kumaraswamy has avoided criticizing the BSY government.
On December 8, shortly after the approval of the BJP government Karnataka Land Reform (Amendment) Bill, 2020 – to remove restrictions that allowed agricultural land to be bought only by farmers – in the state Legislative Council with the support of the opposition Janata Dal (Secular), the JDS leader and former senior minister HD Kumaraswamy was accused by some groups of farmers abandoning their cause. Farmers are a key constituency of the party in Karnataka.
A peasant leader called Kumaraswamy a “master of the bargain”, and the CPI (M), an ally of the JDS, said that “the true face of the JDS has been exposed” because of its support for an “anti-people law.”
Former Chief Minister and Congressional Leader in the state legislature Siddaramaiah asked on social media: “In the morning they support the farmers’ protest and in the evening they vote in favor of anti-farmer laws. What kind of politics is this HD Kumaraswamy? How can people who call themselves sons of the land and sons of farmers stab farmers in the back? “
Kumaraswamy had also voiced support for the land reform bill in September, saying that he, too, was facing allegations of illegal ownership of farmland. But support for the BJP’s amendments to Karnataka law at a time when farmers are leading a massive protest against the central government on the Delhi borders has opened JDS to criticism.
“Let the leading farmers who are attacking the JDS do some introspection. Let them wonder if it is possible for the JDS to take a position against the farmers. I want to remind those people that it was this Kumaraswamy who gave up the farmers’ loans to the tune of 25 billion rupees despite opposition. Then no one patted me on the back, ”Kumaraswamy said, visibly upset the next day.
Rapidly losing ground to the BJP in areas that were once its stronghold in southern Karnataka and with very little control over the BJP-dominated north Karnataka, the JDS, which ruled the state in alliance with Congress in 2018- 19, is now fighting for his political survival.
The party and Kumaraswamy are walking a narrow line in trying to retain their central support base while on the good books of the BJP, which is in power in both the state and the Center.
As in 2006, when Kumaraswamy decided to ally himself with the BJP against the wishes of his father, former prime minister and JDS HD Supreme Deve Gowda, the JDS once again appears to be in a quandary over the choice between its core secular credentials. and pro-farmer. and flirting with the BJP. The fact that the BJP is in possession of an arsenal of cases against the leaders of the JDS has not helped.
In recent weeks there have been indications that the JDS, particularly Kumaraswamy, is leaning towards the BJP and Chief Minister Yediyurappa. Several high-ranking members among the 33 JDS MLAs in the state have weighed the option of joining the BJP to ensure their political survival.
Kumaraswamy has been assiduously avoiding criticizing the BJP and its leadership and instead has often targeted Siddaramaiah, his archrival from the moment they were together at the JDS.
“The goodwill gained in 2006-2007 (when he was CM for the first time) was lost by allying himself with the Congress party. When I stepped down as Chief Minister in 2006, I was popular. After allying with Congress in 2018, Siddaramaiah and his gang destroyed my reputation. I stepped into their trap and accepted the alliance for Deve Gowda, ”Kumaraswamy said earlier this month. “Congress cannot fight the BJP, so it keeps targeting the JDS, which is a small party,” he said.
Part of the rivalry between Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah stems from their affiliations to the castes – Vokkaligas and OBC Kurubas – which are considered archrivals at ground level in southern Karnataka. There is also the old perception that the Deve Gowda family does not promote any leader outside the family.
In September, when corruption charges were raised against Yediyurappa’s family, Kumaraswamy held a closed-door meeting with the CM, leading to speculation that former allies were discussing alternative alliance strategies. In November, Kumaraswamy and Yediyurappa held another closed-door meeting.
“I have not secretly met with the Chief Minister. I met him at his house during the day. I met with him to discuss development work in my MLA constituencies, ”Kumaraswamy said.
During the recent winter session of the state legislature, JDS’s attitude toward the BJP has been mixed, especially in the Legislative Council. While it helped the BJP pass the land reform amendment, it sought modifications to Karnataka’s Killing Prevention and Livestock Preservation Bill, 2020, causing the BJP to waver on the bill’s presentation in the Tip on Thursday.
“The opposition parties are not there simply to oppose it. They have to carry out responsibilities constructively. JDS has charted a constructive path with respect to amendments to the land reform law protecting the interests of farmers. The JDS made sure that the legislation became balanced, ”Kumaraswamy said after the land reform bill was passed.
He said an earlier version of the bill allowed people to own up to 216 acres of farmland, but according to his suggestion, this had been limited to the existing 108 acres.
On opposition to the cattle slaughter bill, Kumaraswamy said: “JDS does not act in the interest of any vote bank, but in the interest of the well-being of farmers.
“Let those who criticize me scrutinize my pro-farmer positions and study our pro-farmer programs. Being a person who walks the path of Deve Gowda, who comes from the agricultural community and rose from the dust, I and the JDS will not deceive the soil or the children of the soil, ”he said.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
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