Karnataka | Corridors of Power

Congress MLA Pradeep Eshwar’s pledge

Bitter political rivalry between Congress MLA Pradeep Eshwar and the former Health Minister K. Sudhakar is no secret. Mr. Ehswar, who defeated Dr. Sudhkar in the 2023 Legislative Assembly elections, has taken a pledge to resign from the Assembly if BJP’s Dr. Sudhakar gets a lead of “even one vote” in the Lok Sabha polls in his Chickballapur Assembly constituency.

Dr. Sudhakar has contested against Congress nominee Raksha Ramaiah, former State Youth Congress chief. All political heavyweights in the Congress and the BJP campaigned for their respective candidates.

“If Sudhakar takes even one vote extra in the Chickballapur Assembly segment, I will resign,” Mr. Eshwar told reporters at a press conference. Both Mr. Eshwar and Dr. Sudhakar have indulged in several verbal duels for the last one year. On criticisms from the former Health Minister, Mr. Eshwar went on to the extent of saying, “Those who completed MBBS with fake certificates are talking about me without substance.” The question now is if Mr. Eshwar will indeed quit if the BJP takes the lead in the Chickballapur segment.

Tactic to divert attention?

KPCC chief and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s remark about his political rivals conducting a “black magic” ritual in Kerala against him and the Congress government is seen as a tactic by the Congress leader to divert attention from the challenges faced by the government. The Congress government has been facing tough questions from the Opposition following the death of Chandrasekharan P., accounts superintendent in the State-run Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, who alleged the role of now-arrested senior officers of the corporation in a multi-crore financial fraud. The Opposition has been mounting pressure on the government seeking that Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B. Nagendra be sacked for his alleged role in diversion of the corporation’s funds.

Bharat Shetty, BJP MLA, took a jibe at the KPCC chief and said that Mr. Shivakumar “holds a Ph.D in conducting black magic” and no one can do magic against him. Home Minister G. Parameshwara said that everybody would do black magic if a government could be formed and destabilised by conducting such rituals. The former Congress leader who quit the party to join the AAP, Brijesh Kalappa, argued that leaders such as Mr. Shivakuamar should not speak on such superstitions which are against scientific temper. For sure, Mr. Shivakumar’s remark days before the counting of the Lok Sabha election votes surprised all.

Being ‘choosy’ in corruption

“Make money, but be choosy.” This was the advice of the former Minister and BJP rebel candidate from Shivamogga K.S. Eshwarappa to police staff in the city. At a press conference in Shivamogga, Mr. Eshwarappa was angry with the policemen over recent crime incidents reported in the city. “What else do you expect from policemen who collect money regularly from those engaged in matka gambling?” he asked.

“Do officers want to buy saris for their wives from the money collected from such people? Will their children study well if they spend that money on their education?” he asked.

Not stopping at that, he offered some advice on what could be called “corruption etiquette”. “You make money. I don’t oppose it. Nobody is Satya Harishchandra here and you will not stop making money because I oppose it. But be choosy while making money,” he said. So from whom is it okay to take bribes? Mr. Eshwarappa did not go into that territory.