By M. Gautham Machaiah
The old war horse of Karnataka, S. Bangarappa, who is often described as a veteran party hopper, an opportunist and habitual defector, is said to be all set to cross the fence once again.
Bangarappa who is now with the Samajawadi Party (SP) is slated to return to the Congress, a party he had quit and rejoined three times in the past. This will be the fourth homecoming for the former Chief Minister who has shifted political loyalties a dozen times.
With Karnataka in election mode, Bangarappa’s sudden volte face has left the SP leadership red faced. Though Bangarappa had issued tickets to about 50 candidates in the first phase of the polls, he has now conveniently abandoned them.
With neither funds nor publicity material reaching them from the party, the candidates who have been delving into their own pockets, feel cheated and let down by Bangarappa. Some of these candidates who accuse their leader of stabbing them on the back, have already retired from the contest to join other parties. The plight of these aspirants who blindly trusted Bangarappa is truly pathetic.
But unfazed by this criticism, Bangarappa himself is contesting from Shikaripura constituency in Shimoga district as a Samajawadi candidate, with the backing of the Congress and Janata Dal (S). The election outcome will decide if Bangarappa will rejoin the Congress formally or lend outside support.
To a candidate who approached him, Bangarappa is said to have remarked: “The Samajawadi Party is dead in Karnataka. Now on, it is the Congress.”
Politics in India has no doubt hit the nadir, but leaders like Bangarappa who sacrifice the careers of hundreds of dedicated workers at the alter of elections for their own selfish gains, put even the most unscrupulous politician to shame.
(Picture sourced from http://www.thehindu.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment