In Karnataka, the BJP and JD-S present a paradox — united during elections, but divided on key issues. Despite an elaborate plan to hold a week-long padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru to protest alleged scams in Congress governance, the coalition partners initially failed to align on the corruption charges against the Congress. However, a quick U-turn seems to have put the padayatra back on track.
The BJP and JD-S unitedly fought against the Congress in Karnataka in the 2023 Assembly polls and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, the BJP’s plan to launch a joint protest against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, whom the Opposition has accused of illegal land allocation and misappropriation of funds meant for Scheduled Tribes, exposed rifts between the allies. The JD-S claimed it was not consulted in the planning the march.
The major bone of contention between the BJP and the JD-S is Preetham Gowda, a former MLA from Hassan. In the 2018 Assembly polls, Preetham breached the JD-S fortress by defeating HS Swaroop. The JD-S and the Deve Gowda family have been seething with anger since the ‘pen drive’ controversy broke, leading to former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna’s arrest for allegedly raping several women.
The JD-S alleged that a BJP leader had a hand in the “horrific sex tapes” going public across Hassan just days before the first phase of the 2023 Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka. This not only caused much embarrassment to the JD-S, but also left the former PM’s family thoroughly humiliated in political circles.
Preetham Gowda, elected to the Legislative Assembly from Hassan in 2018, has been a controversial figure, known for his contentious relationship with the JD-S leadership, particularly HD Revanna and his son Prajwal Revanna.
Preetham Gowda’s political career has been marked by his vocal opposition to the JD-S, and the regional party even claimed that he campaigned against the NDA candidate instead of supporting them as the alliance demanded. Preetham was defeated in the 2023 elections, losing to Swaroop Prakash of the JD-S despite securing 45% of the votes.
Several controversies surround Preetham Gowda, including alleged threats against the Muslim community and absenteeism from crucial meetings of the BJP-JDS alliance, which further exacerbated tension. Gowda being assigned the Mysuru constituency by BJP national general secretary Radha Mohan Das Agarwal further fueled anger within the JDS.
Union Minister and JD-S leader HD Kumaraswamy was visibly angered when asked about the JD-S giving “moral support” to the BJP’s Bengaluru-Mysuru padayatra,/em> being led by Preetham Gowda.
“Who is that Preetham Gowda?” Kumaraswamy fumed. “Preetham Gowda, the man who is set to finish off the Deve Gowda family? They [BJP] discuss preparations for this padayatra with him and want me to sit next to him? The same person who has tried to poison my family? The one responsible for the distribution of pen drives? There is a limit to my patience,” said a furious Kumaraswamy, bringing to the fore the personal and political animosities.
Initially, the JD-S opposed the BJP’s padayatra strategy, deeming it “not the right time”, but the real contention lay in Preetham Gowda’s involvement in planning the march. Kumaraswamy also criticised the BJP for not consulting his party before planning the march.
The withdrawal of the JDS from the padayatra raised significant questions about the future of the BJP-JDS alliance. Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra rushed to Delhi to seek a resolution, fearing the BJP was losing an opportunity to attack the Congress and discredit Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister.
Kumaraswamy’s initial refusal to extend even moral support to the padayatra signaled a potential fracture in the alliance. However, an extended meeting involving BJP national general secretary Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, and state unit president BY Vijayendra convinced Kumaraswamy to participate. He eventually agreed to inaugurate the eight-day march on August 3.
With the ruling Congress and the BJP-JDS opposition countering each other’s padayatras, political one-upmanship seems a to have taken the front seat.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar dismissed the BJP’s padayatra over the Mysuru Urban Development Authority and Valmiki issues as an attempt to stir controversy over non-issues. The Congress, by starting its yatra a day earlier than the BJP-JDS, aims to convince the public that the Opposition’s allegations are baseless and intended only to tarnish its image.
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