Cong strategists worked as well-oiled team, outpaced BJP

NEW DELHI: For the first time in some years, sounds of festivities filled the air at the Congress headquarters here. With sheer political lethargy resulting in the loss of mandates in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya, the Congress this time moved swiftly in Karnataka.

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 19

For the first time in some years, sounds of festivities filled the air at the Congress headquarters here. With sheer political lethargy resulting in the loss of mandates in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya, the Congress this time moved swiftly in Karnataka. The first state to see elections after Rahul Gandhi became party president on December 16, 2017, it was a do or die battle for the Congress.

As the May 15 results threw a fractured mandate, the Congress wasted no time in positioning strategists Ashok Gehlot and Ghulam Nabi Azad in Bengaluru to keep the party flock together and to win over the JD(S) even as former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s called up JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda, thus outpacing the BJP. Congress’ political strategists ensured immediate public acknowledgment of support from Gowda’s son HD Kumaraswamy, who was floored with Sonia Gandhi’s offer of chief ministership. Before that , the Congress had elicited a public statement from CM Siddharamaiah that he would be happy to vacate his throne for anyone his party wanted. Back in Delhi, Congress’ legal team under Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Singhvi moved fast to challenge Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala’s “illegal” move to invite the BJP for government formation when the Congress and JDS had a clear majority. Vala’s 15-day grace period to BJP’s BS Yedyurappa to prove majority strengthened the Congress resolve to approach the apex court.

Singhvi sought urgent post-midnight hearing. The Supreme Court obliged. Congress’ petition had the desired result — the SC did not stop BS Yedyurappa’s oath-taking but added a caveat that he would be interim CM, subject to proof of majority. In a later hearing, it rejected the 15-day period given to the BJP to show it had the numbers and asked Yedyurappa to prove his majority on May 19.

As pleaded by Singhvi and MP Kapil Sibal, the court iterated live telecast of Assembly proceedings. In the end, the BJP had to bow out. While Congress’ legal victory was owing to Singhvi and Sibal, its political strategy was skillfully crafted by Gehlot and Azad who had the support of local Congress MLA DK Shivakumar. Shivakumar, one of the richest politicians in India, saw his Bengaluru resort raided by the ED in August 2017 ahead of Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections in which Congress veteran Ahmed Patel was a candidate. The resort was housing 44 Gujarat MLAs who were to vote. Days after the raids, Patel won the election.