As farmer protests raged in many parts of the country, Karnataka’s Janata Dal (Secular) has found itself in a tricky situation. A party which brandishes its farmer roots and whose symbol is a woman carrying a bundle of hay, drew the ire of farmer organisations for helping the ruling BJP make amendments to a land ownership law that lifted restrictions on non-agriculturists buying farmland in the state.
But party leader and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy defended the move, saying he was only playing the role of a constructive Opposition—he claimed the party ensured a balanced law. “The party is being blamed unnecessarily without proper scrutiny,” he said, listing out pro-farmer schemes, such as a loan waiver, during his stint as CM.
Yet, Kumaraswamy is increasingly being seen as soft on the B.S. Yediyurappa government. In fact, a recent one-to-one meeting between the two have provided more fuel to the endless speculation over whether the BJP high command will eventually find a replacement for Yediyurappa.
“Kumaraswamy’s relationship with the BJP has not always been antagonistic,” says political analyst A. Narayana. “Therefore backing the government on any other issue would not have been a surprise.” But a party championing the cause of farmers would have hesitated to risk its image, even if other states have eased their agricultural land ownership restrictions over the years, he says.
But soon after supporting the land reforms, the JD(S) opposed the saffron party’s bid to push through its cow protection bill, arguing that the legislation was adopted in a tearing hurry and would burden dairy farmers already in distress rather than protect cattle. Kumaraswamy has asked the government to remove some clauses in the anti-cow slaughter bill. Party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda too weighed in, saying the JD(S) is opposed to the bill which could create unrest in society.
Even as Kumaraswamy took to social media to clarify his stand on the bills, political observers aren’t surprised by the former CM’s equations with the BJP and his attacks on the Congress. Last week, Kumaraswamy said teaming up with the Congress to form a (short-lived) coalition in 2018 eroded the goodwill he had built in his first term in office. Of course, it isn’t a new accusation—over the past year, Kumaraswamy has often rued the decision to form a coalition with the Congress. Of course, the volleys between him and Congress leader Siddaramaiah aren’t new either.
In southern Karnataka where the JD(S) has a good presence, it is the Congress which has been its traditional rival. But the situation is getting complicated with the BJP making inroads into these regions. In the recent assembly bypolls, the BJP has been able to wrest seats it had never won before, at the cost of both the JD(S) and Congress. It is plausible to expect that the JD(S) would look to navigate carefully rather than taking on two rivals at once, reckons Narayana.
