BJP High Command must be highly pleased with former Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice Santosh Hegde for doing it huge favour. Unwittingly, Justice Santosh Hegde helped BJP resolve its dilemma over yedurappa, who was proving to be an “Albatross around the neck of the BJP” for more than six months. Not that, BJP High Command wouldn’t have been upset with alleged charges of corruption against Yedurappa & his family members and mining barons, Reddy Brothers. However, they were in a great dilemma, what to do with them? On the one hand, they were in a quandary, whether or not to dispense with Yedurappa,who was responsible for bringing BJP to power, for the first time, in any southern state and continue to command huge support among the MLAs and Powerful Lingayats and on the other hand continuance of Yedurappa in Power in Karnataka was puncturing its “corruption plank” against UPA ahead of Monsoon Session. Prevarication on the issue was exposing BJP of charges by ruling UPA such as practising “unadulterated hypocrisy” and “dedicated double speak” on corruption. Also, they were finding difficult to deal with Yedurappa on this issue as he was proving to be a “political hot potato” for them and as such any lack of prudence would have proved too costly for the party in Karnataka. While BJP leadership was mulling over their strategy to prevail upon UPA Govt. on innumerable charges of corruption during the monsoon session, however, general perception of the people about corruption in Karnataka and lack of any effective action on its part, as per expectation of the people, was making its “corruption plank”against the UPA, devoid of credibilty to some extent.They would be definitely very upset with the existing scenario and must be in a great dilemma, what to do? In the mean time, in the last week of July, just ahead of monsoon session, came “blessing in disguise”for them, in the form of Lokayukta report on illegal mining indicting Yedurappa,Reddy Brothers,Former CM of Karnataka Kumaraswamy,Congress MP Anil Lad etc. and BJP High command finally got an opportunity to get over their catch-22 situation.When the report was leaked, top leadership had made up its mind and when it was finally submitted,they told Yedurappa, in no uncertain term, that this time he had to go. Yedurappa kicked and screamed but this time no one was listening to him and finally he had to go and the occasion wouldn’t have been more propitious than the preceding day of the commencement of monsoon session.
Ouster of Yedurappa meant moral victory for BJP and with it they retrieved their “whole of power” to fight on “corruption plank”against UPA. Although, there was lack of rain outside the parliament; however, in the parliament, UPA Govt. was going to be flooded with corruption cases/charges against them. While Congress was still at its wits end to answer several charges against the PMO, Home minister, previously in the role of finance minister in 2G scam etc., revelation of long awaited CAG report, expectedly indicting Sheila Govt. severely for massive corruption during the Common Wealth Games in Delhi last year, added to their misery. While alleged massive charges of Corruption against Sheila was not new for her. In fact, it has been alleged for long, how, indirectly, she and her “kith and kin” have been “hand –in-glove” with Power distribution companies in Delhi and how people of Delhi have paid huge price for the power utilized/not utilized by them for the “illicit nexus” (between Sheila along with her family members and power distribution companies)for last several years. In fact, their cases for power tariff hike are pleaded by Sheila first and by the concerned companies later on. Despite, putting people to huge discomfort through her massive corruption, she has always been fortunate to survive. It happened mainly because she always had advantage of proximity to 10,Janpath.Sheila, a greenhorn in Delhi’s politics, who earlier lost Parliamentary elections from Delhi and UP, was installed as CM of Delhi(after congress won the elections in Delhi in 1999 on the issue of price rise of onion) because of her proximity to Sonia and always survived, whether any internal-dissension against her within the party or any charges of corruption against her with the blessing of her mentor Sonia. She was also fortunate that her beginning as CM of Delhi was marked with decline of political fortunes of BJP in Delhi. While she continued to benefit from several development projects viz. Metro Rail Project/several infrastructural projects initiated by previous BJP Govt, forced intervention of Supreme Court in the field of Public transport for checking Environmental pollution coupled with huge investments on infrastructural development/ beautification projects owing to common wealth Games in Delhi. Also, to her advantage was her personality. She was urbane, articulate and despite being elderly was often found to be contemporary in her approach related to her tastes,lifestyles viz. fondness for Belgian Chocolates,craze for Bollywood Movies etc. typical to any young lady of current times. Also, to her advantage and to the disadvantage of her adversary BJP, was rapidly changing social composition of the voters in Delhi. Traditional voters of the BJP, besides being wooed to some extent by her party, were being out-numbered by migrants from different states especially from Bihar and eastern UP and with lack of any focus or any effective strategy of BJP to sew them along with their traditional voters (however, during last one and half years, focus and strategy of the BJP in Delhi, seems to be changing fast on this account) was helping Sheila garner these votes by default.
Sheila, after being on top of Power for twelve long years, seems to be running out of luck. On the one hand, after surviving for long despite several corruption charges against her, thanks for her proximity to Sonia and substantially weakened adversary BJP in the State, corruption charges have begun to haunt her finally. Now, she is being formally indicted for corruption again and again, earlier by Shunglu Committee and CVC and now a very severe indictment by CAG. Also, her adversary BJP in the State is beginning to retrieve its lost ground. During last some time, State BJP seems to be conducting like a very vigilant opposition, raising its voice and organizing mass protests on diverse issues, whether related to price rise, welfare of masses or corruption. And, indictment of Sheila by CAG has re-invigorated the state unit. State unit of BJP, after long time, seems to be vastly energized and going for the “kill” of Sheila. Ever Since CAG reports were leaked, there has been mass protests for removal of Sheila all around Delhi. On the other hand, BJP Leadership, in Parliament also doesn’t seem to be willing to relent on the issue. Other Opposition parties also, particularly Left, don’t seem to be in mood to spare Sheila.
With all around attack on Sheila, Congress Leadership, is finding itself in a catch-22 situation. If, they continue, to shield Sheila, they would be providing credence to the general perception that current UPA Govt, regarded as the most corrupt govt. ever since independence, continues to aid and abet to corruption and providing shelter to corrupt elements. Congress is a national party and this kind of growing belief will be detrimental to its interest at the regional and national level in the long run. On the other hand, however, if they decide to punish her for what she has done, it will open a Pandora box for others in the party. As they know, majority of their cabinet Ministers at the centre and several CMs and senior ministers at the state level are facing serious corruption charges and if they continue to remove CMs and their senior ministers on charges of corruption, they would be left with hardly anybody in the Govt. They realize that sacrificing, Ashok Chavan, was a big "mistake" for them and from now onwards, they are not going to repeat the same mistake for sure. In case, Sheila is allowed to be burnt by the fire against the corruption, soon it will engulf many others too. Also, some of the Cabinet Ministers at the centre realize that presence of Sheila serves to “insulate” them against the fire spreading against the corruption. The moment, Sheila is allowed to burn in it, they will also catch this fire and hence all these senior ministers have decided, come what may Sheila would continue despite massive corruption charges against her. Also, she is so “near and dear” to “Khangress” high command that until, she doesn’t decide against her continuance in Power, nobody dare speak against her in Congress. Given, the past track record of “Khangress” high command,she would be willing to protect her “near and dear ones” until the time, there is a huge public outcry against them so that they become “huge embarrassment” for her. As soon as that situation arises, she won’t mind dumping them, however “near and dear” they might be for her in the past. What happened with Natwar Singh, Arjun Singh, Shivraj Patil,Margret Alva etc. in past are manifestations of her typical treatment to those who become "Political Embarrassment" for her . Sheila also would not be any exception to this rule. At the moment, “Khangress” high command is abroad convalescing after the surgery. Let her come back. If Protests against Shiela die down by then, Sheila will be lucky to survive again; however if protests continue against her like today, Sheila’s fate would be no different from Natwar Singhs etc. Considering the current scenario, however, Sheila seems to be in for the latter.
