One of the first fallouts of the ‘Kannadiga’ quota fiasco in Karnataka is that the Congress may be reticent in talking about reservations in the upcoming polls, especially in Haryana and Maharashtra. But then where does this leave Rahul Gandhi who, unabashedly, has been pitching for quota, especially in the private sector?
During the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, a storm had erupted when Gandhi seemed to suggest wealth redistribution. The BJP pounced on him and while Congress clarified, Gandhi himself was convinced that this would be the only way to ensure that all develop.
But why is it that within 24 hours of sharing the details of the quota Bill, the Karnataka government did a U-turn? This was because of the real fear that it would mean exodus or anger of the industrial sector.
Bengaluru, for example, is known as a cauldron of people from various states who use their expertise to ensure the city remains on top.
As Karnataka mulled over the Bill, the BJP and other Congress opponents were quick to seize the opportunity, with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s son and minister Nara Lokesh inviting businesses to his state. Congress leader Priyank Kharge jumped in to silence him but the altercation also exposed the discomfort of the Kharges with the decision of the Siddaramaiah sarkar.
In fact, sources say that Kharges’ hands are tied. Looking at the job scene in Karnataka, there were political compulsions that led the chief minister and his coterie to believe that a quota was the only way they could assuage the angry Kannadigas.
But sources say deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar was not too happy with the decision and had conveyed to the chief minister as well as Delhi leaders that it could have a grave political fallout and hurt Karnataka financially as many corporates would want to pull out.
The bigger challenge, however, was to convince Rahul Gandhi — a feat only Mallikarjun Kharge could have achieved. The Congress president explained that with Andhra vying for the IT space, Karnataka could ill-afford reservation under the present circumstances. Kharges ultimately prevailed over Gandhi but maybe not for long.
As the Rahul Gandhi committee sits down to decide on the upcoming state polls and the quota issue, he would certainly expect a middle path which may be tough to find.
For now, Gandhi has asked the state government to ensure that some assurance is given to the Kannadigas after speaking to corporates to ensure that all stakeholders are happy.
Meanwhile, for the upcoming state polls, the party will carry forward Gandhi’s agenda laced with prudence.
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