Naturally, all the thigh-slapping over the expressway project does little to enhance HDK's reputation outside the Republic of Ragi. As 'Kumaranna ko gussa kyun aata hai' plays on, the only ones who are managing a laugh are the cartoonists. S.V. Padmanabh quipped in the Vijaya Karnataka this week: "When you meet Deve Gowda, don't ever make the mistake of saying, 'nice to meet you'." Ditto Kumaraswamy.
