It is important to be at the right place at the right time. And arrive with integrity. The proud Kannadigas have had a history - social cultural and political - of justice, its fight against it, and absolute fair play. When they received fair play from its leaders or even their Kings, they embraced them and gave showed their gratitude through service.
The Kings did not play with the people. The rulers of today did
Jayachamaraja Wadiyar the Maharaja of Mysore was known for his benevolence, philanthropy, patronage of the arts, and service to the poor, a Hindu king who reached inclusiveness. Traditional Hindus and other religions basked in this benevolence.
Those in North India still do not get this. The southern States and especially one that is so rich in literature, poetry music and scholarship, and theatre- not dramas we know it on the political battlefield. This anecdote reflects this. When there was a move to build a memorial for Swami Vivekananda by the Sangh Parivar in Mysore, Karnataka’s artists and intellectuals protested against it since the memorial would demolish a Kannada medium school, the first such for girls in the country started by the Mysore queen.
IT WAS THIS GENTLE HARMONIOUS KARNATAKA THAT WAS HURT
It is this Karnataka that was hurt in the past few years. When they were not served for the faith they had in the BJP. Polarisation and religious discrimination, according to the many voices that came out, seemed to be on an upswing. Unemployment was on the rise, the farmers and the poor were distressed and the traditional caste-based following- mainly of the Lingayats left the BJP.
To counter this, the BJP infused these issues: Against the wearing of Hijab in schools, against Azaan (the Muslim call to prayer through loudspeakers), and reacting to the Congress move to ban to Bajrang Dal by saying they are against Lord Hanuman. Proud Kannadigas rejected each of these as acts of creating a divide.
When Kannadigas shed tears of hurt, the Congress was a sponge to soak them in
When the cry that comes with losing a home, future, or security is not heard by the government you select, it is those tears that pick an alternative when there is one. In Karnataka, the Congress was that sponge to soak in the tears of the people.
When the proud Kannadiga held out her hand for release from no delivery of service, the Congress held it. And the people believed in this because of deep grassroots reasons. That is the reason why Congress won in the belt dominated by the Vokkaligas (Mandya and Hassan). A section of the Lingayats and the Muslims who voted decisively for the Congress and did not split their votes with JD(S), also moved to the Congress.
What does this indicate - that across castes and religions the congress managed to get the faith of people in delivering justice to them.
In Karnataka, Congress fought for pride by openly protesting against the entry of AMUL since Karnataka had its own Nandini cooperative. “We have our water and our milk. We won’t let anyone from outside come in,” said D K Shivakumar.
Amul lost, Nandini won.
What pride did Goa Congress fight for? They didn't even have the ride to say a word when the Port was allied to be made into an authority and do as they pleased trampling Goan institutions and making Goa a coal hub.
In Karnataka, the Congress fought the BJP, in Goa, the Congress fought the Congress
In Goa, it was only in 2017, under Luizinho Faleiro’s leadership that the Congress did just that, but traitors seized the election from the Congress and served it to the BJP. Those who twist mandates against their own party by doing nothing, as Digvijaya Singh didn’t, and watched silently have backstabbed the party even more than defectors.
In Karnataka, Congress had an inspiring leader to look up to. Two leaders, D K Shivakumar the state Congress chief, and Siddaramaiah, fought as one to make Congress win, and not to do backroom deals - unlike Goa. They mobilized all district units, worked with the cadres and selected candidates for over 150 units well before nomination.
Quite unlike Goa where multiple tickets were allegedly promised in constituencies by then GPCC chief Girish Chodankar and the age-old policy of the village block and district doing the selections was thrown in the dustbin and sent to Sonsoddo. Chodankar came and did one thing very well, handed over governance to the BJP.
This is the tragedy of the Goa Congress- the old guard was sidelined and pushed out with zero aspirational and inspirational leadership
The Karnataka victory was built on one foundation. The Congress went back to its tried, trusted, and respected. The Congress in Goa did just the opposite - insulted and sidelined their tried, trusted, and respected. It is unimaginable that the former Chief Minister, Faleiro who rebuilt the party in the blocks and districts and led Congress to the doorstep of victory was systematically pushed out by the durbar man in Delhi.
People of Goa wonder. How can someone who served in the Congress Delhi durbar literally, like a peon has destroyed an institution like the Congress in Goa and still doesn’t give up?
Moreover, in Karnataka, Congress chose local leaders, chose early and chose well, who raised and fought for local issues
In Karnataka, in each constituency, the entire party backed the chosen candidate, who was not a BJP person wearing a Congress mask. The same was not true of Goa, where some came from the BJP directly or were planted by them, joined the Congress, contested elections wearing the Congress mask, and then immediately defected to the BJP, taking off their masks after the elections. Even a pledge before God of not defecting was dismissed, with claims of even taking permission from the Gods to do this.
The Goa Congress is like a petrol pump. Everyone comes in to refuel and then leave
In term after term, there are mass-scale defections. More than half the party leaves, with two or three MLAs remaining. There is no accountability, no one is held responsible for the jumping frogs who dumped the people who gave them the mandate.
People who pray supported these jumping frogs asking people to directly vote for them, by going against their revered call of duty.
Did they utter a single word against these jumping frogs or carry on as usual even socialising with them?
This kind of dirty mockery was not witnessed in Karnataka. The Congress fought an honest election there.
One laments that at a time when people were less educated but they chose better. That was a time when people like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sitaram Yechury, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, A K Antony, and Satya Pal Malik were people’s choices.
In Goa, the Congress was cut to pieces and destroyed. MP Sardinha named Girish Chodankar as the one responsible
South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha has said, “In the past, Congress failed to form the government because it was Girish who allotted tickets to wrong people to contest the elections. Hence, he should first introspect on how he finished the party in Goa.”
Not many would disagree with Sardinha. Even after showing that he was relinquishing his post of State President after everything he touched turned to dust, (for the party but not for him), Girish Chodankar continues to interfere and pass sweeping remarks against his own party leadership, making broad overtures of him contesting the South Goa (or even the North Goa seat), political adventures he has engaged in the past and was routed.
People vote for parties but they vote for trust and credibility among those wanting to get elected
The Congress did win and win resoundingly in Karnataka. But it was trust and credibility which won by an even bigger margin infused by traditional leaders who really and truly wanted the party to win, and got everyone together and not cut deals and mock the trust of the people.