The recent verdict in Cauvery river dispute raised a big question regarding the role of national parties in Karnataka. Most of the people in the state felt that the two largest parties in Karnataka, Congress and BJP are responsible for the chaos which the state is in. The national parties have failed in working for the interest of state, which led to a call of regional party in Karnataka.
Regional Party in different states
In many states, we have seen regional parties doing well. The regional parties are also forming the government. For instance, the three neighbouring states of Karnataka, which are Andhra Pradesh, Telengana and Tamil Nadu, are ruled by Telugu Desam Party, Telengana Rashtriya Samithi and Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazghagam (AIDMK) respectively. Compared to Karnataka, they are getting more justice in sensitive issues.
Other popular regional parties across India are Akali Dal (Punjab), DMK (Tamil Nadu), YSR Congress (Andhra Pradesh), Shiv Sena (Maharashtra), Biju Janata Dal (Orissa) and Trinamool Congress (West Bengal).
Commenting about this, Vijay, admin of popular Kannada page in Facebook said, “The regional parties are the best bet for Karnataka. In other states, regional parties are doing very well. They know the local problem better. The problem with national parties is that they have to work as per ‘high commands’ order. This affects the state in long run. There are certain advantages of having national party at helm in state. However, I feel it is better to have a proper regional party in state.”
Failure of Regional Parties in Karnataka
Karnataka has never been able to get a strong regional party. Except for JD(S), none of them have been able to make mark. The regional political parties which tried their luck in Karnataka are Badavara Shramikara Raitara Congress, Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha, Kannada Nadu Party, Karnataka Janata Paksha and Urs Samyuktha Paksha. However, none of them made any mark.
Kannada Nadu Party can be termed as last found regional party. Launched by business tycoon Vijay Sankeshwar, the party also had popular Kannada actor Dwarkish. The party was launched in 2006. However, in the assembly elections it performed poorly with all candidates losing the elections, except one. The party was expected to do well, as it had good media support due to Vijay Sankeshwar’s media business. But the people of Karnataka had other plans. After dismal performance, most of the members quit the party and its founder who was also a former BJP MP joined BJP again, thus ending Kannada Nadu Party’s existence.
JD(S) a regional party?
The Janata Dal (Secular), formed in 1999, had its origins in the Janata Party, founded in 1977 as a coalition of several smaller parties that combined forces to oppose the Indian National Congress. In 1988 the Janata Party and other smaller parties merged to form the Janata Dal (JD). It split in 1999, when a faction led by Chief Minister J. H. Patel lent support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance leading to the formation of Janata Dal (Secular) under H. D. Deve Gowda.
The party also has presence in Kerala, where it has coalition with Left. In Karnataka, JD(S) formed its first ever government in 2004 along with Congress, wherein Congress leader Dharam Singh was made the chief minister. However the party had a ‘so called split’, wherein H D Kumarswamy took support of some MLA’s of his party and formed 20-20 government in Karnataka along with BJP. HDK was the chief minister for first 20 months. He was supposed to and handover the CM’s chair to Yeddyurppa after completion of his term. He ditched the BJP after the end of term as CM. This is said to be the main reason for rise of BJP in the state as people had sympathies towards BJP and it sweeped the assembly elections.
JD(S) is ruled by Gowda family, which includes Deve Gowda, Kumarswamy and Revanna. The party only has its presence felt in certain parts of Karnataka. The Gowda family is also accused of being opportunistic. In the last held Lok Sabha elections, Deve Gowda had also given a statement saying that he would not mind having Jayalalitha as Prime Minister of India. This led to many political debates as Jayalalitha is known for her anti-Karnataka stance. Deve Gowda, who calls himself as ‘Mannina Maga’ was ready to support her, as he was part of Third Front.
Film Stars effect
We have seen many films stars forming regional parties. In Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, legendary actors MGR and NTR formed AIADMK and TDP respectively. They swept the elections in their debut itself. They are still present and are doing well for themselves unlike regional parties in Karnataka. The star status is said to be the reason for this. In Karnataka, except few stars like Ambaressh, Jaggesh and Umashree, none of the film stars have been able to make a good impact in politics. The three mentioned stars are part of national parties. Legendary star Rajkumar has been forced to join political parties many times. During Gokak movement, he was also forced by his supporters to form a regional party. However, he stayed away from politics and so have his children.
At present, the only star who seems to be inclined to politics is Upendra. The ‘Real Star’, who grew up in poverty is known for criticizing politicians in his films. He is said to be an ardent supporter of Narendra Modi. In the same time, it is also said that he is also against the current state BJP members. In an interview few years back, he said that if he ever joins politics, he will never join the three popular parties of Karnataka.
This has led to speculation of Upendra forming regional party. Even in recent Cauvery riots issue, social media was abuzz with many facebook pages wishing Upendra to be the next CM. Speaking about this, a political analyst said, “Upendra is apt for politics. He is known for his good works. He understands the problem which people face as he came from poverty. The way he recently spoke about Cauvery issue shows how matured he is. People like him are needed in politics. But is he confident of starting regional party in Karnataka only with his star image? He needs financial backing to form a party and select candidates. It is a not at all easy. It’s better he joins any of the three parties at present. Let him make a name for himself as politician and then can form a political party.”
Is it really necessary?
Now comes the biggest question, is it necessary to have regional parties in Karnataka. Well, we cannot have a definite answer for this. It all depends on leader. Many regional parties in other states have also given poor governance. Having regional party does not guarantee good governance. National parties have also developed our state. If it was not for SM Krishna, a Congressman, Bengaluru would have not been so popular worldwide. The important thing is that the leader should be good. If the leader is good, everything will fall in place. With two more years to go for next assembly elections, we will have to wait and see what people will decide.
