The Tearful CM

Tears, black magic and trips to the temple have dominated BS Yeddyurappa’s three years in office. But will he last now?

As Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa sits down to analyse his three years in office this week, he must ask himself: Is it time to go? For, he’s hanging in there by a thread, support­ed only by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. His government is being buffeted by allegations of corruption from the opposition, has senior BJP leaders ganging up to stir up rebel trouble for him and an overzealous watchman in the Raj Bhavan bent on sending him packing. But, to the 63-year-old’s credit, he is probably India’s only CM with a majority fighting to save his gaddi (seat).

That’s the reason he’s keeping the celebrations low-key even as he released a report card titled ‘Three Years of Bountiful Development’ carrying figures with a mindboggling number of zeroes, spelling out the several hundred thousand crores released for ‘development’.

If you question the man, copious tears flow down his cheeks or he resorts to tantrums. This week, the celebrations were dulled a little as BJP patriarch LK Advani told reporters in Chennai that he was not happy with Yeddyurappa. “I have personally told him so and told the BJP leadership too,’’ he said.
Yeddyurappa said the patriarch’s re­marks were not about corruption per se, but more about the image of the first-ever BJP government in the south. “I have explained…that all the charges against me were politically motivated. The JDS is indulging in Goebble’s theory [alluding to the Nazi PR machinery headed by Goebbles] in order to make lies seem like the truth. In fact, Advaniji is happy about the developmental activities undertaken by my government. The party’s central leaders are aware of everything.’’

But, he did not acknowledge the fact that the BJP central leadership was deeply divided when it comes to Karnataka. Recently, Sushma Swaraj washed her hands off the subject saying she had no hand in making the infamous Bellary Reddy brothers, her protégés, ministers. They have brought  Yeddyurappa’s govern­ment to the brink twice, and have only been silenced now that the Supreme Court is monitoring encroachments by their mining companies.

Realising that Advani’s statements could raise another storm, Yeddyurappa quickly gave himself “two months” to set everything right. A day later though, he extended this to four months. He’s also taken the opportunity of an Opposition-boycotted Assembly to pass a Bill to help himself and colleagues to a 150 per cent raise in salaries and perks.

In Yeddyurappa, the state has a whining, tearful and god-fearing CM who visits temples and donates elephants even as he accuses the Opposition of indulging in black magic to “remove” him. He weeps publicly at every attempt to destabilise his fragile majority either by the Governor, opposition or by his own partymen. That is to say, every quarter. “The BJP’s central leadership too seems to have been bought over by Yeddyurappa with even those accusing him of corruption and asking him to step down making a u-turn in his support,’’ says JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy, who has promised to expose the CM’s misdeeds soon.

The teary dramas have impressed none. Advani once chided him at a public rally in 2009: “You must wipe the tears off the faces of the people.’’ He immediately an­nounced that he would not cry anymore, but work tirelessly to develop Karnataka. The crowd gave him a standing ovation. And Yeddyurappa did what he does best: cry, out of joy.

Despite all his troubles, the party has put him on the back of Bangalore’s city buses hailing his development schemes which also includes a photograph of a few Muslim women tying a rakhi on the wrist of a clearly uncomfortable CM. There are huge bill boards too of a Yeddyurappa dressed in a neatly-cut suit pointing at a picture of a long-delayed metro train.

Will the charade end soon is a question dominating the voters minds in the state as they see him agilely negotiate one hurdle after another without making any change on the ground. But, the BJP central leaders will soon have to take a call if the party is serious about retaining power. The voters have had enough.

BS YeddyurappaKarnataka