BANGALORE: The Congress through its 60day campaign, Congress nadige janara balige, which was intending to increase its political footprint in the state, has been eclipsed by issues both at the Centre and at the statelevels: the truth test episode between Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and his predecessor H D Kumaraswamy, the recent price hike of diesel and LPG by the Centre, and a factor that is not under its control the early onset of monsoon.
The charges of corruption, nepotism and misgovernance against the BJP government was just the right substrate the Congress was looking to build upon in its campaign, which was launched with much fanfare at Kora village in Tumkur earlier this month. However, the faceoff between the chief ministers incumbent and former seems to have knocked the wind out of its sails.As if this was not enough, the onset of early monsoon, especially in hilly regions, seems to have dampened its spirits. The enthusiasm witnessed in the first week following the campaign's launch seems to have been dissipated following the Centre's decision to hike the prices of diesel, kerosene and LPG.
Admitting that the continued rains in hilly regions had affected their prospects, former minister and monitor of the state campaign Kagodu Thimmappa, told Express that the hike in prices of petroleum products has not had any adverse effects. "People have not bothered about the price hike as the UPA governments' hand was tied following the steep increase in the prices of crude oil in the international market." He urged the state government to announce a relief package, as done by West Bengal and Haryana, instead of merely targeting the Congress.The former minister, a former socialist leader and a native of Shimoga, slammed the CM for criticising their campaign, and instead asked him to focus on providing better administration, instead of making misleading comments. "Yeddyurappa who once undertook a padayatra from Shimoga to Bangalore seeking regularisation of bagarhukum land for farmers has forgotten them," he asserted."The state government has not bothered to implement the recommendations of the Forest Act, which envisages conferring rights of ownership to tribals who have been cultivating inside forests for many years."
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