Congress is not power hungry'

TO say that the Congress has been losing ground in Karnataka would be a gross understatement. From the heady days over a decade ago when the grand old party', led by stalwarts such as S.M. Krishna, M. Veerappa Moily and Mallikarjuna Kharge, won 136 seats in the 225-member Assembly, the party has lost much of its strength. In 2004, the Congress won 65 seats. In 2008, it got 80 seats, but this number was eroded in a series of byelections, and the party's strength today stands at 73. Caste bias, infighting, and the absence of grass-roots support and the benefit of astute leaders who can sway the electorate have affected its prospects. The Congress has to reinvent itself in order to overcome its political lethargy.

There is also a feeling among many Congress loyalists that they have been taken for granted and that is why Siddaramaiah, the Leader of the Opposition, a relatively recent entrant to the party from the JD(S), has been projected as its public face. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president R.V. Deshpande is desperate to reverse the party's fortunes.

Excerpts from interviews he gave Frontline during and after the two trust votes moved by the B.S. Yeddyurappa government in the Assembly on October 11 and 14.

The Karnataka unit of the Congress was not pleased with Governor H.R. Bhardwaj's decision to allow B.S. Yeddyurappa to seek a second trust vote after the chaos witnessed during the first one. Why?

The report of the Governor recommending President's Rule is still pending before the President of India/Government of India. No decision has been taken on it. When that is the case, the decision of the Governor asking for a second vote of confidence came as a surprise. In the history of democracy, I have not heard of a Chief Minister being given charity of this sort. In my view it is not as per the Constitution, nor is it legal. The Governor's report should have been decided before the BJP was asked to take a second trust vote. This decision has helped the BJP to rectify the mistakes it committed during the first confidence vote.

Did the decision for a second trust vote come about because the high command felt that the time was not right for President's Rule?

No. The Congress high command has no business with this decision. It is for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government and the President of India to take a call on whether or not to impose President's Rule.

Is it not true that the State unit wanted President's Rule? Has the high command let you down?

No.

Is the Congress fishing in troubled waters by siding with the rebel BJP legislators?

No. It is for the ruling party to keep its house in order. The BJP's house is on fire because of infighting. The BJP government led by Yeddyurappa is corrupt and unstable and has lost its majority. The fate of the government still hangs in the balance.

Also, it is the BJP that has indulged in horse-trading. When 16 legislators walked out of his government, had Yeddyurappa been sensible he would have resigned. The Chief Minister is heading a minority government.

And he called for midterm elections?

I don't know about that. The rebel legislators have said that they are against Yeddyurappa, not against the BJP. Under the Yeddyurappa government the State administration has completely collapsed.

Is the Congress looking forward to forming the government with the JD (S)?

The Congress is not power hungry. We are not saying that we are trying to form a government. Our strategy is to wait for the verdict of the High Court on the Speaker's decision disqualifying 16 legislators. We are also not interested in destabilising this government. Nor are we interested in political instability in the State.

The Congress has been critical of Speaker K.G. Bopaiah's actions.

Yes. For example, during the second vote of confidence the Speaker should not have announced that Yeddyurappa had won. He should have just said who got how many votes. This is because the fate of the Yeddyurappa government is subject to the High Court's verdict in the petition challenging the Speaker's decision disqualifying the 16 rebel and independent legislators. There is already a no-confidence vote pending against the Speaker.

Do you think the best course is for a spell of President's Rule?

I can't comment on that.Ravi Sharma