A Weary Beginning

THE sheer going-through-the-motions attitude that hung over the Bangalore Palace Grounds last week at the launching of Lok Shakti, the much-awaited political party of Ramakrishna Hegde's apolitical forum Ras-htriya Navanirmana Vedike (RNV), was reflected in his statement: "I have been drawn back to politics when I was planning to retire. The responsibility of the new party is not on strong shoulders. The sooner I get rid of the responsibility, the happier I'll be". Following this, speaker after unknown speaker, mouthed platitudes and declared eloquent ideals as the future of the 'alternate party'.

Consider this: Lok Shakti will not contest elections even if mid-term polls are held to the Lok Sabha. The RNV, Lok Shakti's predecessor, did not contest last fortnight's assembly by-elections to Ramanagara and Chik-kanayakanahalli. Neither did the RNV contest a single seat in the assembly by-elections held last October to eight seats. And in the elections to the Bangalore City Corporation it came a cropper.

The February 16 launch of Lok Shakti was first scheduled for October, then rescheduled to December, again to January 26 after which the RNV could not allow another rescheduling for the simple reason of displaying a semblance of seriousness. And despite the launch, Lok Shakti has not decided about electoral alliances with other parties in the state. In the October by-polls, the RNV supported all major parties in the electoral fray including the Janata Dal candidate in one constituency. Last fortnight, support was extended to the Congress in Ramanagara and a Janata Dal rebel in Chikkanayakanahalli. Sufficient indications, if any were required, about Hegde's political uncertainty, lack of motivation and political fatigue. This was again reflected in the lack of bite in Hegde's address to a moderate gathering of supporters when he could not get himself to even attack his political nemesis Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.

It was a foregone conclusion that Hegde would not receive any support from his friends in the Janata Dal as not a single MLA, forget ministers, has crossed over to the Lok Shakti or the Vedike since its launch last July. While the Vedike had set up units in most Karnataka districts which will now be converted into Lok Shakti units, the party has been able to enter Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala through some spent forces like Era Sezhiliyan in Tamil Nadu and Ramakant Pandey and Ram Ashray Verma in the Hindi belt. All hopes of Hegde's supporters are pinned on whatever leverage he can manage with the electorate after establishing a base for the party in the state.

"Given a choice, Hegde would just like to quit politics and stick to his books and intelligentsia crowd. If only Jeevaraj Alva would let him do that," says a former Congress legislator associated with Alva, Heg-de's Man Friday, for some time now. The former legislator claims that the launch of Lok Shakti is a tool by which Alva means to bargain his way into the Congress. Senior Lok Shakti leaders, while being circumspect about the prospects of the party and the public response to its delayed launch, agree that the entire effort is being manipulated by Alva to place himself centrestage. Says a senior Lok Shakti leader who did not want to be named: "There are no democratic opportunities, no sharing of responsibilities within the party. 'I will do everything' is Alva's attitude." Within the ruling Janata Dal, feelings are divided. Despite being jolted by the defeat in Ramanagara and Chikka- nayakanahalli, Chief Minister J. H. Patel is confident that Hegde will not be able to des-tabilise his government. Says M.P. Prakash, senior Karnat-aka minister and once a Hegde-supporter: "Hegdeji's image is larger than his shadow. We all know he has never built a party from scratch. 

How he will be able to do that at his age (70) without any base is anybody's guess." However, another senior minister who is still seen as a Hegde-supporter, feels that the Lok Shakti could still inflict some damage to the Janata Dal if elections are held. Says he: "They will not win many seats, forget becoming an alternative, but they can destroy the Janata Dal in the state if they want to just like Bangarappa left the Congress and brought about its worst defeat in the state." While that is a political possibility for the Janata Dal to ponder over in the wake of its first-ever electoral blank last fortnight, the fact that elections to the state assembly are nearly three years away is a daunting thought for Lok Shakti leaders. Not only would the party need to mobilise funds and maintain the morale of its supporters, it would also need to arrest Hegde's waning image and boost his sagging interest for the rough and tumble of aggressive politics. And, if the Lok Shakti launch was any indication, that is not going to be an easy task.