BENGALURU: Defections have become a norm ahead of assembly elections in Karnataka, but this time the trend has kicked off early with polls still about 14 months away.
Several sitting and former MLAs of the three major parties – BJP, Congress and JD(S) – are already in talks with senior functionaries of rival parties, seeking to shift loyalties in the hope of landing electorally greener pastures.
Analysts believe party-hopping will get more intense once results of the elections in the five states including Uttar Pradesh are announced on March 10, since this would indicate which way the wind is blowing.
However, most desertions are likely to be from JD(S). Former CM and JD(S) legislature party chief HD Kumaraswamy himself admitted that several MLAs from his party are looking to jump ship ahead of the 2023 polls. “The Congress does not have the numbers to come to power on its own and is trying to bolster its strength by poaching from JD(S). But defection of legislators will not weaken our party,” said Kumaraswamy.
But Congress too is facing a similar threat due to the bitter internal tussle between opposition leader Siddaramaiah and state party chief DK Shivakumar. Senior Congress MLA CM Ibrahim has decided to leave the party, accusing Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar of camp politics after he was denied the post of opposition leader in the legislative council. He is likely to join either JD(S) or Trinamool Congress. “Many more will follow suit, especially when they get feelers over landing tickets to contest the polls,” said a senior party functionary.
BJP, which came to power after poaching 17 Congress and JD(S) MLAs in 2019, is also facing desertion blues. Legislator Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who had predicted the removal of BS Yediyurappa as CM, said there were several people in the saffron outfit who have already “booked their return ticket” to Congress.
Sources say at least four, including two ministers in Bommai’s cabinet, have held a round of talks with Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah to rejoin the party. “Some BJP and JD(S) members are in touch with us to join the par- ty,” said Siddaramaiah, wh o had previously vowed not to take MLAs who defected back into the fold.
Sandeep Shastri, political analyst, said denial of tickets will trigger more migration. “Denial of party tickets to sitting MLAs and former MLAs is common, and they are the main floor crossers,” he said.
Vishwas Shetty, another political analyst, said, “Every election sets off a series of defections from major parties. These scenes recur since politics has become a business-like preoccupation sans ethics, ideology, and morality. Parties that don’t have any ideological strength, welcome anyone one on the sole criteria of “winnability”. The party that absorbs these new entrants claims that they are within sniffing distance of capturing power, while the other projects him or her as a liability. ”
