Arvind Kejriwal set to go for jugular of BJP, Congress and JDS

Bengaluru: Going by the tenor of the rhetoric of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, he is going for the jugular of the three parties in Karnataka. He unveiled his vision for the State in his speech during the first-ever conference of the Aam Aadmi Party in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Referring to 40 per cent commission allegations that the Bommai government is facing, Kejriwal lashed out against both Congress and BJP. "When Congress was in power Karnataka was infamous for 20 per cent, but now after the BJP has come the commission rates have doubled. But in Delhi and Punjab we now have '0' per cent governments, so people of Karnataka have a clear choice."

Citing the Ramayana, Kejriwal said "at all points of times in our lives we must shed 'ahankar' (ego). Ravan, after abducting Seeta Maatha was advised by his brother Vibhishana not to have a confrontation with Lord Ram, but he did not listen and that led to his downfall. We all told the central government not to bring three ordinances that were anti-farmer, at the end after 13 months the government had to rescind."

In a way, Kejriwal has sounded the poll bugle in Karnataka. "People of Karnataka let us get ready for bringing your own government in the State. We will put an end to all commission practices in Karnataka. Let us rebuild schools, modernise our hospitals and make them affordable to the common man, make power cheaper and uninterrupted and provide clean drinking water and make Karnataka water surplus State. All these can happen only when a non-corrupt party heads the government," he said.

Taking a dig at the 'quality' of leaders and workers in BJP, Kejriwal said "Luchchas (vagabonds) goons, rapists and corrupt people are joining BJP. They are creating an un-social atmosphere in all parts of the country, but they could not carry out their sinister designs in Delhi, because AAP has stonewalled these elements from reaching the common people."

With no alternatives to BJP, Congress and JDS, Karnataka politics is now looking at the fourth option in Aam Aadmi Party. Congress, JDS and BJP have been hobnobbing with each other for the last quarter-century.

The JDS had formed a government with both BJP and Congress during the critically fractured mandate in the last 15 years. Political analysts point out that in the absence of an independent party with pro-people approach, in the 2023 elections such a situation would arise what with the ruling BJP mired in corruption, Congress popularity sliding and JDS already being burdened by 'family party' image.

But they also point out that the road to success for the AAP in the state will not be an easy one. Though Delhi and Punjab were cakewalks for the AAP, Karnataka's caste politics might be a major hurdle.

Karnataka's voter regions have a very distinct profile. The disruptor element is the Old Mysuru region which is generally agrarian, through popular pro-farmer slogans both Congress and JDS had cornered seats while in the recent years BJP had been playing its caste and community cards which has divided the voters between three parties. While on the Coast, North Karnataka, Bayaluseema and Malnad things have more or less remained stable for BJP and Congress in their respective pockets.

Kejriwal is certain that he is here to bulldoze with his idea of the common man and his first target will be the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), where he will test the waters, with a little more than 100 seats in the BBMP, Kejriwal has now set his mind on the highly urban area of Bengaluru in a move win over the urban population and basically the young crowd. "We will replicate what we did for Delhi Metropolitan area and turn back Bengaluru to the most livable city" he had told his confidante, Mr Bhaskar Rao, for the Additional Director General of Police who recently joined AAP.