Discord in BJP-ruled states buoys Congress

May 15, 2012 - Venkatesh Kesari |

Age Correspondent

New Delhi

Developments in the BJP-ruled Karnataka and Gujarat and growing dissension in the Rajasthan unit of the saffron party, have enthused the Congress ahead of the Assembly elections.
While Gujarat is going to the polls in the coming months, Karnataka and Rajasthan will have Assembly elections in the next year.
If the main Opposition at the Centre is failing to emerge as an alternate to the Congress, it has not been able to consolidate anti Congress parties in the state and at the national level ever since it lost power at the Centre in 2004.
The BJP is slipping in Karnataka due to the inte-nse factional fights betw-een former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and chief minister D.V. Sadanand Gowda and some central BJP leaders alleged to be encouraging factionalism.
In Gujarat, hardliners are divided between pro and anti chief minister Narendra Modi who has been antagonising party leaders in the state and at the Centre and the Sangh Parivar.
Former chief minister Keshubhai Patel is mobilising politically influential Patel community against Mr Modi which can tilt the power balance in the state.
The BJP used to describe Gujarat as the Hindutva laboratory.
Mr Modi is seen as an anti Patels who constitute about 18 per cent of state population.
Patels shifted their loyalty to BJP in Gujarat after former Congress chief minister Madhavsinh Solanki worked out a KHAM (kshatriyas, harijans, adivasi (tribals) and Muslims) formula to politically alienate the powerful community.
And Rajasthan is witnessing the open fight between hardliners and liberals.
Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje is seen as a liberal but the hardliners are trying to check her with the help of the RSS.

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