Bangalore: The suicide of a sugar cane grower outside Karnataka Assembly building in Belgaum seems to have shaken Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. A 60-year- old farmer Vittala Bhimappa Arabhavi killed himself by taking poison outside the Suvarna Vidhanasoudha in Belgaum.
The winter session of the Karnataka assembly is currently underway at Belgaum, the second capital of the state. The suicide has led to widespread protest by the farmers across north Karnataka districts.
Like the farmers in other states, farmers in Karnataka are also agitating for a better price for sugar cane and the payment of arrears.
The opposition has now launched an all out attack on the Congress government in Karnataka. Former chief minister and KJP chief BS Yeddyurappa is demanding the resignation of Siddaramaiah. He is backed by the top BJP and the JDS leaders in the state.
Siddaramaiah who is unpopular even among his own Congress party because of his attitude towards the original Congress leaders is now finding it difficult to handle the situation. He is not getting adequate support from his own ministers and MLAs to counter the opposition. Many of them are behaving like as if it's his own problem and not a crisis of the government.
The Congress MLAs from the dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga castes are also not backing him fully. They feel that the Chief Minister who is from a backward class is ignoring upper castes.
KPCC President Dr G Parameshwar, who is opposed to Siddaramaiah, is also not coming to the rescue of the cornered Chief Minister. In the past, he has openly attacked the Chief Minister for his attitude towards the original Congress leaders.
Siddaramaiah was a top leader of the Janata Pariwar before he joined the Congress in 2006. His appointment as the Chief Minister after the party victory in the recent assembly polls has caused a lot of heartburn among senior leaders of the Congress.
The opposition parties are sensing an opportunity in the current crisis. They want to exploit the situation to create anti-government mood before the Lok Sabha polls due in April-May 2014.
Yeddyurappa, who shares a stormy relationship with Siddaramaiah, is leading the opposition attack on him. They often cross swords within and outside the Assembly.
The JDS led by the Gowda family, which still can't stomach the fact that its one time team member is now the Chief Minister, has also launched an attack on him. The BJP, which is trying to regain its lost ground in the Lingayat dominated North Karnataka districts, is also using the current crisis for its advantage.
Siddaramaiah who is allegedly controlled by a small coterie consisting of his old time Janata Pariwar friends and some intellectuals is now finding the going tough. According to his own party colleagues, if he does not mend his ways and change his style of functioning, the Congress may suffer huge electoral losses in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
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