Muddy Water Eddy

Lok Sabha rout strains the seams of Congress-JD(S) stitch-up.

- Ajay Sukumaran in Bangalore

ALL through the past year, Karnataka’s Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition has been grappling with the discontent of legislators who were not happy at being left out of government. Now, after a stunning Lok Sabha verdict— the coalition managed only two seats, while the BJP won 25 of the state’s 28 parliamentary constituencies—the tricky task of keeping the flock together has only got more pressing.

The immediate move, going by the indications, to placate the malcontents will fill up vacancies in the council of ministers and bring in fresh faces. Both CM H.D. Kumaraswamy and his deputy G. Parameshwara have been sounding out some of the vocal MLAs, mostly Congressmen. For the coalition government, the Lok Sabha results have clearly brought matters to a head—its survival depends on the two parties pulling tog­ ether which, given the constant sniping so far, is a trapeze act in itself.