Festoon Of Schemes Dangling

Siddaramaiah is sure about retaining power, banking on an array of welfare projects

- Ajay Sukumaran

ALONG the narrow village street of Daripura, a small crowd winds its way to a chavadi, a raised stone platform with thatched roof that offers respite from a sweaty Mysore morning. Then, after genuflecting before a photograph of the venerable seer Shivakumara Swamy, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah steps back onto the street, where he is handed a mike. It’s after 12 years that he is standing for elections from Chamundeshwari, an assembly seat hugging the south ­eastern fringe of the sandalwood city. He reminds people about a ‘tough fight’ back in the December 2006 by election and how they stood by him even when the Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP had joined forces to “finish me off”.

That bypoll, which Siddaramaiah scraped through by a margin of 257 votes, is now a milestone in Karnataka’s politics. Not just because it was fought tooth-and nail between former friends, but it handed Siddaramaiah a second political innings: the ‘rebirth’ of a dyed-in-the wool Janata Dal leader as a Congressman. Now, after five years as CM, Siddaramaiah is leading his party into another tough election and, while he’s at it, forcing rivals to react than set the tone.

For the Congress now, the 68-year-old is indispensable. To critics, both old rivals in politics and newly fallen-out colleagues, Siddaramaiah is arrogant. To observers, even BJP party president Amit Shah, known as a master strategist, won’t find it an easy ride for his party in Karnataka. This, despite the BJP’s strong presence here, unlike in other southern states.