Stephen Rego & Vijay Prabhu
Of late whenever Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa is seen in public (as seen in television)
he is accompanied by two politicians —Acharya and Dhananjaya Kumar on either sides.
For once any one may consider these two as the CM’s bodyguards. This is not a rare
scene but is seen quite frequently. The two politicians from the twin districts by being
faithful to the Bangalore and Delhi masters (not wrong to say by being their slaves) have
made their political future secure. There are such examples in all parties. Acharya and
Dhananjaya are the latest examples to this. Both have not been able to get elected directly
from the people – better to say rejected by the people, but have tried to prove that they are
still inevitable for the party.
If Dhananjaya has achieved a hatrick defeat in Lok Saba elections, Acharya in his
political career spanning 45 years, has won in an assembly election just once and had
been MLA for two years. Meanwhile, one cannot keep count of the Lok Saba and
Assembly elections in which he were defeated. He, after his defeats used to spend time
by issuing press statements in Udupi.
It’s been already 25 years since he fought any direct election. Still he has somehow
managed to remain in the mainstream BJP politics and has retained his political identify
by being a member of the Upper House.
On the other hand, Dhananjaya who was almost going to be extinct in BJP politics owing
to his own folly, later on, somehow came to be projected as a close associate of the CM.
He is the state government’s representative in Delhi (in the past, retired officials were
appointed for this post. Subhash Bharani, a retired IPS officer was holding this post prior
to Dhananjaya.) Dhananjaya making use of the post he has been given has been posing
as if he was defending the government in trouble and has come closer to Yeddyurappa.
Another reason for his coming close to the CM is that Sadananda Gowda was drifting
way from the leader.
As far as people of the twin districts are concerned, both Acharya and Dhananjaya are
waste coins which are not circulated. Even the two leaders are aware of this. They who
could not secure a safe political future for themselves, are trying to be at center stage by
remaining close to the CM.
A suggestion to Yeddyurappa is don’t show your back to a democratic administrative
system by giving them power or a post that ought to be given to elected representatives.
There is no objection if you keep them close to you but do not give them any ministerial
post. You can very well make Acharya as your political advisor or as the Chairman of the
State Planning Commission, a post vacated by DH Shankermurthi. If that is not possible,
he can even be made the chief of the Coastal Development Authority. Dhananjaya can
even be appointed as Officer on Special Duty for the CM. He can do his job effectively
by giving statistics quiet often.
What both these men need is an official bungalow and a car in Bangalore. Acharya also
needs a post to participate in various programmes in DK and Udupi districts, to take part
in ribbon cutting programmes and to lay foundation stones. It is enough if he is made the
political advisor to the CM.
Dear Yeddyurappa, you may be in need of these two ex-leaders. But not the people of
the coastal districts. We have no objection if you need their services. If you give them
the power ought to be given to elected representatives then it will only bring you ill-fame.
Though they may pretend to be obedient to you, they are experts in misusing the power
available to them.
If you need these leaders and want to give them some post, you need not make them
ministers but can grant them some post in your personal establishment.
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