Uphill task for Siddaramiah, Shivakumar in Karnataka

While the Congress succeeded in persuading its Karnataka unit chief D.K. Shivakumar to take up the Deputy Chief Minister’s role, its troubles in the southern state may not be over. Party bosses may be praying that he and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah get along well despite the intense fight between the two for the top office.

Party well-wishers must also be praying for the same, but for a different reason: the top leadership of the grand old party is exasperatingly inept in sorting out tussles between senior leaders.

It is a well-known fact that the party was all set to return to power in Punjab last year, but the Gandhis snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by preferring the fickle and feckless Navjot Singh Sidhu over the seasoned stalwart Amarinder Singh. The high command was also unable to keep Jyotiraditya Scindia in good humor; he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, bringing down the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh. For about four years, the GOP has not been able to bring peace between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot.

The problems that would stare the Congress in the face in Karnataka are not just political. It made a lot of promises while wooing voters; people would want those pledges, especially the much-hyped five guarantees, to be redeemed. It promised several freebies and revenue-guzzling schemes. The Congress promised to give Rs 2,000 a month to every woman heading a household, Rs 3,000 to jobless graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders per month for two years, 10 kg of rice per person per month to below poverty line (BPL) families, free electricity (up to 200 units) for every household, and free bus commute for women in the state.

But freebies are not free; someone always pays for them, directly or indirectly, in one manner or the other. Women enjoying a free ride are also taxpayers, so too are BPL families and stipend receiving graduates; all of them pay (direct and/or indirect) taxes.

The Congress’ promises are estimate to increase the taxpayers’ burden by about Rs 62,000 crore, for that amount will be drawn from the state exchequer every year. This is likely to double Karnataka’s fiscal deficit from the current 2.6 per cent.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar will have to strike a balance between populism and fiscal prudence.