HDK emerges as effective ‘Oppn’ leader as BJP falters

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: Former chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is slowly emerging as the ‘effective’ leader of the Opposition harping on various issues and controversies pertaining to the new Congress Government in the State.

At a time when the BJP is yet to emerge from the shock of the humiliating defeat in the recently held Assembly polls, the Janata Dal (Secular) leader has in the last 15-20 days, dropped two bombshells pertaining to fixation of ‘45 percent commission’ by the incumbent government for contractors of all departments and huge kickbacks in transfers to plum posts.

Though the JD(S) leader is known as a ‘hit & run’ politician who hardly takes any issue to the logical end, he has overshadowed BJP leaders in exposing the alleged misdeeds of the new Congress government headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The JD(S) tally came down from 40 seats to just 19 seats in the recent Assembly polls, but Kumaraswamy has not lost his zeal to rebuild the party from the grassroots level. On the other hand, the BJP, despite winning 65 seats of the total 224, is yet to get into the active role of the recognized Opposition party.

Ironically, the BJP hasn’t arrived at a consensus on the selection of an MLA to don the role of Leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly due to the competition between former CM Basavaraj Bommai and Vijayapura City MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal. The budget session of the Siddaramaiah government will start on June 3 and all that the BJP is doing is harp on the condiitonal guarantees of the Congress government.

But Kumaraswamy on the other hand, has threatened to renew the ‘PayCM’ campaign against Siddaramaiah and his group of ministers who have allegedly been involved in corruption within three weeks of coming to power. Ironically, the BJP has not shown its keenness to expose the misdeeds of the Congress government due to reasons known to it.