05-28-2005, 07:34 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>K'taka hurling towards bypoll? </b>
P T Bopanna / Bangalore
Even as Karnataka's first coalition Government completed a year in office on Saturday, the count-down has begun for a mid-term election in the State. The purported strained relations between the chiefs of the coalition partners - Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister and President of the Janata Dal (Secular) H D Deve Gowda - is the primary reason.
<b>While the Congress is waiting to see the outcome of the bypolls to the Shimoga Lok Sabha and Chamarajpet Assembly constituencies before pulling the rug, Mr Gowda has already begun preparations for the mid-term polls by going around the State to refurbish his party</b>.
The lacklustre performance of Chief Minister N Dharam Singh, and the non-stop tirade between Mr Gowda and the State Congress chief Janardhana Poojary has contributed to a situation where <b>a mid-term election later this year or early next year has become inevitable. The Congress sources opined the high command may favour a spell of President's rule to shore up the sagging image of the party before facing the electorate.</b>
These sources confirmed that Mr Gowda and Ms Gandhi have strained relations which has come in the way of the smooth functioning of the coalition government. Though the Janata Dal (Secular) has hardly any presence in Shimoga Lok Sabha and Chamarajpet Assembly constituencies, <b>Mr Gowda has fielded his party candidates for both the seats going to the by-polls, reportedly to sabotage the prospects of the Congress candidates</b>.
Though the coalition government is headed by the Congress, the impression has gained that Mr Gowda is the boss and Chief Minister Dharam Singh is only playing a second-fiddle. Mr Gowda has lost no opportunity in attacking the Congress and has been openly critical of the Congress leaders in the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project by targeting former Chief Minister S M Krishna and his close associate and former minister D K Shivakumar.
<b>The failure of the coalition government was in evidence on Friday when the entire civic infrastructure in the heart of the town collapsed in the hi-tech city of Bangalore following heavy downpour.</b> Despite the hype about Bangalore being the Silicon Valley of India, there has been a total breakdown of the civic infrastructure which goes for a six too often. Friday evening's downpour, resulted in five-hour traffic jam in the city centre with most of the office-goers reaching home around midnight.
None other than the <b>Congress heir-apparent Rahul Gandhi </b>experienced the chaotic infrastructure during his visit to the city and heard complaints from the captains of industry.
Mr Gandhi left the city without meeting the Chief Minister, leading to speculation that the Gandhi scion was not happy with his party government in the State.
Law and order in the state has become a cause for concern. While Bangalore has been witnessing unprecedented growth in crime, the Naxalites have been active in the Western Ghats.
<b>Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who was in the State on Friday to campaign for the BJP, hit out at the Congress for going soft on the Naxalites</b>.
In a veiled attack on the Congress President, Mr Deve Gowda has expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance of the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre on the latter completing one year in office. The former Prime Minister noted that the UPA had failed on several counts despite the Government being headed by a person of the calibre of Dr Manmohan Singh.
"It is a fact that there are differences not only among the UPA partners but also among some of the Congress ministers. The UPA should work at evolving an independent economic policy rather than ape the United States economic model," Mr Gowda remarked. <b>With the BJP in Karnataka failing to play an effective role as an opposition party, Mr Gowda has hijacked that role by targeting the Congress at every available opportunity</b>.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
P T Bopanna / Bangalore
Even as Karnataka's first coalition Government completed a year in office on Saturday, the count-down has begun for a mid-term election in the State. The purported strained relations between the chiefs of the coalition partners - Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister and President of the Janata Dal (Secular) H D Deve Gowda - is the primary reason.
<b>While the Congress is waiting to see the outcome of the bypolls to the Shimoga Lok Sabha and Chamarajpet Assembly constituencies before pulling the rug, Mr Gowda has already begun preparations for the mid-term polls by going around the State to refurbish his party</b>.
The lacklustre performance of Chief Minister N Dharam Singh, and the non-stop tirade between Mr Gowda and the State Congress chief Janardhana Poojary has contributed to a situation where <b>a mid-term election later this year or early next year has become inevitable. The Congress sources opined the high command may favour a spell of President's rule to shore up the sagging image of the party before facing the electorate.</b>
These sources confirmed that Mr Gowda and Ms Gandhi have strained relations which has come in the way of the smooth functioning of the coalition government. Though the Janata Dal (Secular) has hardly any presence in Shimoga Lok Sabha and Chamarajpet Assembly constituencies, <b>Mr Gowda has fielded his party candidates for both the seats going to the by-polls, reportedly to sabotage the prospects of the Congress candidates</b>.
Though the coalition government is headed by the Congress, the impression has gained that Mr Gowda is the boss and Chief Minister Dharam Singh is only playing a second-fiddle. Mr Gowda has lost no opportunity in attacking the Congress and has been openly critical of the Congress leaders in the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project by targeting former Chief Minister S M Krishna and his close associate and former minister D K Shivakumar.
<b>The failure of the coalition government was in evidence on Friday when the entire civic infrastructure in the heart of the town collapsed in the hi-tech city of Bangalore following heavy downpour.</b> Despite the hype about Bangalore being the Silicon Valley of India, there has been a total breakdown of the civic infrastructure which goes for a six too often. Friday evening's downpour, resulted in five-hour traffic jam in the city centre with most of the office-goers reaching home around midnight.
None other than the <b>Congress heir-apparent Rahul Gandhi </b>experienced the chaotic infrastructure during his visit to the city and heard complaints from the captains of industry.
Mr Gandhi left the city without meeting the Chief Minister, leading to speculation that the Gandhi scion was not happy with his party government in the State.
Law and order in the state has become a cause for concern. While Bangalore has been witnessing unprecedented growth in crime, the Naxalites have been active in the Western Ghats.
<b>Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who was in the State on Friday to campaign for the BJP, hit out at the Congress for going soft on the Naxalites</b>.
In a veiled attack on the Congress President, Mr Deve Gowda has expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance of the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre on the latter completing one year in office. The former Prime Minister noted that the UPA had failed on several counts despite the Government being headed by a person of the calibre of Dr Manmohan Singh.
"It is a fact that there are differences not only among the UPA partners but also among some of the Congress ministers. The UPA should work at evolving an independent economic policy rather than ape the United States economic model," Mr Gowda remarked. <b>With the BJP in Karnataka failing to play an effective role as an opposition party, Mr Gowda has hijacked that role by targeting the Congress at every available opportunity</b>.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->