What explains Congress’ attacks on JD(S)?

LOP Siddaramaiah has been especially sharp in his criticism of his former JD(S) colleague Kumaraswamy

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: In an interesting, yet not entirely unexpected development, Congress bigwigs have been doing their best to undermine the JD(S) and its legislature party leader HD Kumaraswamy in the grand old party’s ‘Praja Dhwani Yatre.’

Kumaraswamy on his part has hit back, even warning All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala that if their “BJP B-team” jibes against JD(S) didn’t stop, they’d be responsible for “future developments”.

This was interpreted as an indirect warning that JD(S) would refuse to side with Congress in a post-poll alliance. It is said that a private research firm that the Congress has hired told the party leadership that JD(S) might play spoilsport and keep them from crossing the 113 seat magic number. The Kumaraswamy-led party’s influence is mostly confined to Old Mysuru region, which, if you include Bengaluru’s 28 seats, sends 94 members to the Assembly.

There are 224 segments in Karnataka Assembly. If JD(S) were to snag enough seats in its stronghold and cut into Congress’ votes in others, thereby helping BJP make some gains in the region where they are considered weak, then it may lead to a hung Assembly, come May.

Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Assembly Siddaramaiah has been especially sharp in his criticism of his former JD(S) colleague Kumaraswamy, calling him an opportunist for withdrawing support from the Dharam Singh-led coalition government and siding with the “communal” BJP back in 2006. Siddaramaiah has in the past also pointed out that it was his work as the JD(S) state president that had ensured the party had bagged 58 seats in the 2004 Assembly elections.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar also sought to further the same narrative, hammering home the point that it was Congress which lent support to the erstwhile Janata Dal to make HD Devegowda the prime minister and had also made Kumaraswamy the chief minister in 2018 to keep the BJP out of power.

The Congress heavyweights even blamed Kumaraswamy for the coalition losing lawmakers during the ‘Operation Kamala’ poaching fiasco. The attacks were especially sharp in JD(S) stronghold Mandya. Notably, all seven MLAs from the district belong to the JD(S). Caste matters Shivakumar has on multiple occasions emphasized his Vokkaliga caste identity and called upon his community to support him as the chief ministerial candidate.

He even reached out to his Adichunchanagiri mutt seer Nirmalananda Swamy when he demanded that the quota for Vokkaligas be expanded from four per cent to 12 per cent. Vokkaligas, who account for 11 per cent of the population and are concentrated in the Old Mysuru region, have regarded HD Devegowda as their mass leader for decades.

However, Congress has made inroads into Vokkaliga hearts over the years. Moreover, Shivakumar after his ascension to the post of the Karnataka Congress’ president has even managed to poach Vokkaliga leaders from the JD(S).

Meanwhile, an opinion poll by the Hyderabadbased SAS group alongside the India n Political Surveys and Strategies (IPSS) team in the state found that about half the Vokkaliga voters still prefer the JD(S), while 38 per cent favour Congress and only 10 per cent might cast a ballot for the BJP.