Leaving one’s home of 45 years is not easy. But, the resignation of S.M. Krishna, 84, from the Congress, which gave him an illustrious career—as chief minister, governor and foreign minister—raises as many questions about the current leadership as it does about his commitment to the party.
On January 29, a day after he sent his resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Krishna called a press meet on the lawns of his sprawling residence at Sadashivanagar, a plush locality in Bengaluru. The stream of visitors were treated to hot and crispy masala dosas, sweet dishes and badam (almond) milk. This harked back to the days when he was the popular chief minister, the foreign-educated charismatic leader, the book-lover and tennis enthusiast, the Gandhi loyalist and the Union minister who had direct access to the party high command.
After a long telephonic conversation with Congress leaders in Delhi, Krishna said: “I quit the Congress and I will not change my mind. I consulted only my wife. I am hurt and anguished. But I quit because my dignity and self-respect were at stake. I have not ditched the party, but have only quit. I am not retiring from active politics. A politician, just like a soldier, never retires.”
Not naming party vice president Rahul Gandhi, he said: “Today, the Congress feels the party can be run by managers and there is no need for time-tested mass leaders and loyal workers. A party that does not respect seniority will not survive.”
Moving on: S.M. Krishna | PTI
Krishna’s career took a downward turn in 2012, when he was removed as foreign minister. He was then denied a Rajya Sabha ticket and finally sidelined ahead of the 2013 assembly elections. With “migrants” taking over the state government, there was a gradual loss of clout within the party and also in his home turf of Mandya.
Krishna’s exit might dent the Congress’s prospects in urban areas, especially Bengaluru; Krishna was nicknamed the “Bangalore chief minister”. Ironically, the Congress government today is accused of neglecting the capital. Another pertinent question is whether the corporates, who had set up shop in the sleepy city during Krishna’s tenure, would turn their backs on the Congress.
Though Krishna never positioned himself as a caste leader, a marginal impact on the Vokkaliga voter base cannot be ruled out. “I was a worker of the Congress incidentally born into a Vokkaliga family,” said Krishna. The Congress’s loss could be the BJP’s gain as the latter does not have a tall leader in the Vokkaliga heartland of old Mysore. Also, the recent sacking of Srinivasa Prasad, a prominent dalit leader, from the state cabinet has upset the dalit vote, which will adversely affect the Congress.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has lost favour among party cadres for promoting “tainted” ministers like K.J. George and H.C. Mahadevappa, while dropping performers like Kimmane Rathnakar and Prasad. The recent cabinet rejig brought in younger blood, but upset some MLAs as some of the new entrants were children of senior Congress leaders.
Prominent caste leaders such as Prakash Hukkeri (Lingayat), Jaffer Sharief (Muslim), Janardhana Poojary (backward class) and A.H. Vishwanath (Kuruba) have been vocal in supporting Krishna. And, with the disgruntled brigade growing by the day, the party is bracing for a showdown between the “originals” and the “outsiders” (led by Siddaramaiah) before the 2018 assembly elections.
