National

Debut Debacle

Hegde’s party gets a  drubbing on its first outing

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Debut Debacle
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RESULTS of elections to an urban civic body, even if it is the Ban-galore City Corporation, is by no means a clear indicator of the political atmosphere in a state. But for a party making its debut in the uncertain arena of electoral politics, it holds significance for the simple reason that it can affect its temperament and future plans based on the harvest reaped in the elections. And the pathetic harvest reaped by Ramakrishna Hegde’s Rashtriya Navanirmana Naagarika Samithi (RNNS) in the Ban-galore City Corporation (BCC) polls held last week, has dealt a strong blow to the party besides once again fuelling questions about Hegde’s political future in the state.

 Of the total 100 seats for which elections were held, RNNS contested from 87 wards and had proclaimed its confidence of becoming the ruling party in the corporation. Hegde had himself campaigned in pockets of the city and had made noises about Bangalore’s development not receiving the attention it required. But when the results were announced, RNNS found itself at the receiving end of a severe drubbing with just three seats in its kitty. It was as if a prologue to the political obituary of the Rashtriya Navanirmana Vedike (RNV), the apolitical parent body of RNNS, had been written even before it could climb out of the cradle.

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Though no party was able to gain a majority in the corporation council and the election of the mayor continues to hang fire as voters returned a hung council, the ruling Janata Dal in the state continued to hold sway, winning 39 seats. The BJP came second with 26 seats and the Congress stayed steadfast in its third position with 19 seats while independents accounted for 11. Among RNV members, there was a virtual pall of gloom. Nor were there explanations or excuses for the dismal performance of RNNS in the polls, with Hegde staying away from Bangalore and making no statement after the elections. Even Hegde’s Man Friday Jeevaraj Alva, the usually ebullient RNV convenor, has been conspicuous by his lack of a reaction to the sorry figure cut by the RNNS.

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In all fairness to Hegde, the RNNS could not have chosen a more demanding election to make its political debut after its formation in June this year. The BCC election was only the second after Hegde’s expulsion from the Janata Dal, the other being the bypolls to eight assembly seats held in early October. Hegde had refused to contest any of the seats. Instead, he played confusing cards by supporting the BJP, the Congress and even the Janata Dal in various constituencies. The decision to contest the BCC polls was influenced by the fact that senior RNV leaders such as Alva and former MP V.S. Krishna Iyer, apart from Hegde himself, had their political strongholds in Bangalore. Besides, generating a mood in favour of the RNNS was considered easier than contesting eight assembly seats in different corners of the state.

The fledgling outfit had apparently failed to contend with the social polarisations in the vote bases of the various parties in the state—a process to which even Bangalore has not been immune. "The results of the BCC elections are a reflection of the caste and community combinations that have been let loose on the state by Deve Gowda," says a senior RNV leader. "It is wrong to believe that caste and community plays a role only in rural segments. The educated urban voters are as much conscious of caste combinations if not more." Also ranged against the RNV was its lack of a party network and the fact that most of its candidates were relative strangers to voters.  

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The results of the BCC elections have pointed out Hegde’s need for a credible agenda. As yet his agenda consists of little other than a pathological hatred of Deve Gowda. Political observers in Bangalore note that Hegde’s inability to place a political agenda before the people and take a clear stand about pulling the rug from underneath the J.H. Patel government has eroded his standing among voters. And with his insistence on a wait-and-watch policy which entails letting developments in Delhi chart a course for him, RNV members continue to be in the dark over their leader’s plans. Which is a situation fraught with the risk of the newly-born outfit losing momentum and fading into political oblivion.

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