As the BJP government led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai completes one year on Thursday, with a grand convention being held to mark the anniversary, the impending Assembly elections nine months from now appear to be weighing heavily on the minds of State leaders rather than a sense of joy.
Smooth transition
The completion of one year in office by Mr. Bommai is a significant milestone for the BJP as it marks a transition in leadership. The party, a year ago, managed to convince its veteran leader B.S. Yediyurappa, who is not only credited with bringing the BJP to power for the first time in the State but also has a substantial influence on the cadre, to step down from the Chief Minister’s post and allow new leadership to emerge.
Mr. Bommai, who was one of the few leaders who shared a good relationship with both Mr. Yediyurappa and the party, had emerged as the best choice for the chief ministerial post then. Predictably, the past one year has been a delicate balancing act for Mr. Bommai whose main focus appears to be on not giving room for political instability.
While he has succeeded in ensuring a smooth transition of leadership, some key issues such as effectively reaching out to people and ensuring proper co-ordination with the party organisation still remain a challenge.
With his vast administrative experience, Mr. Bommai is perhaps one of the most experienced among the Chief Ministers of the BJP-governed States. He has been able to bring in a semblance of order at higher-level bureaucracy in the last one year, many observe. But the service delivery system at the grassroots level is yet to show visible improvement, which is being blamed on some Ministers whose presence is hardly felt by general public. There seems to be no mechanism to rein in such Ministers.
Extra caution
Also, Mr. Bommai appears to be taking time to make crucial decisions, unlike his predecessor known for impulsive decisions. Political observers attribute this hesitation to Mr. Bommai not being from the BJP cadre since he joined the party only about one-and-a-half decades ago. “Perhaps he would want to be extra cautious and consult several people in the party before making any decision, and desist from taking a call if it is tricky. This consumes time,” observed a senior leader in the BJP.
A few leaders feel that though Mr. Bommai has come out with several good schemes, he is finding it difficult to take them to grassroots level owing to a lack of effective coordination between the government and the party. This has caused concern among several leaders who feel that this is crucial if the party has to win the next Assembly elections and form the government on its own. They attribute the results of some of the bypolls to the Assembly, where the party lost its own strongholds, to this lacunae.
Corruption charges
The government has also come under attack from the Opposition on corruption charges, beginning from the bitcoin scam, large-scale malpractices in the recruitment of police sub-inspectors, and allegations by contractors that they have to give 40% commission to get bills cleared. Though government has rebutted them, the allegations are yet to fall silent.
BJP outsiders are also disappointed that Mr. Bommai, who comes from a socialist background, lost an opportunity to remain a middle-path man in terms of ideology in the right-wing party. They insist that he should have been more aggressive while countering the fringe rightwing elements’ effort to disturb secular fabric.
Interestingly, despite feeling that he fell short of expectations, both BJP insiders and outsiders feel that Mr. Bommai is still the best bet for the party for the chief ministerial post because of his administrative experience, knowledge on key issues, and sober attitude. They feel that Mr. Bommai could do better and grow stronger if he remains his “true self”, sheds hesitation and grows more dynamic in style of functioning.
