The Congress must dump JD(S) to save Karnataka

Fumble Harmer
The Congress must dump JD(S) to save Karnataka
The Times of India Editorial

INFOSYS founder Narayana Murthy’s resignation from the top job of the Bangalore airport development project highlights an unpleasant truth. Karnataka’s Dharam Singh-led regime is hostage to H D Deve Gowda, ex-PM, erstwhile self-styled ‘humble farmer’ and boss of the Janata Dal (S), a coalition partner of the Congress party. Infosys’s chief mentor has quit because he’s disgusted with Gowda’s ham-handed attempts to deflect blame for delays in the project by saying that Murthy made little or no contribution to it. Actually, Gowda and his fawning band of JD(S) politicos are responsible for the mess into which Karnataka’s once-booming economy is sinking. Projects like the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor (NICE), an expressway linking Bangalore with Mysore, are stuck because Gowda’s supporters are putting up obstacles when their goals are thwarted. Though it’s apparent that Bangalore’s infrastructure is under severe pressure after 10 years of scorching IT sector growth, Gowda and his cronies do nothing but sling mud at S M Krishna, the former Congress chief minister who is still widely admired as the administrator who pushed Bangalore’s — and the state’s — growth. Things have become so bad that many IT companies now threaten to boycott Bangalore’s annual sectoral convention.

So, apart from stalling projects and constantly sniping at its coalition ally, the JD(S) has little to show for itself. What does the Congress get out of this relationship? Short answer: Nothing. Dharam Singh is a hapless man, kowtowing to Gowda’s whims, watching as the JD(S) destroys governance in Karnataka. Every coalition involves some give and take: For the JD(S), it is all take and no give. With Gowda at the helm of state administration and Singh as his hand-puppet, things are likely to get much worse in Karnataka. Given that the Congress should dissolve the alliance soon, something that is likely to topple the government, and call fresh elections. With the BJP, which had won 28% of votes in last year’s polls, now in tatters and the JD(S) plagued by infighting, the Congress is likely to boost its share of votes from last year’s 35%. With a bigger majority and competent administrators, the party can turn Karnataka around. Continuing with the fumble harmer and the bumbling Dharam will be a costly mistake.