The court might have exonerated BS Yeddyruppa from all corruption charges, but inducting him again in BJP may not be good. Also, the Congress should make its stand clear on Virbhadra Singh else it will go down further.
When Delhi’s newly sworn in chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was making an emotional pitch on the floor of the assembly to win the trust vote for his government, he said that he will ‘not spare’ the corrupt. While reading out the agendas from what seemed like his party’s manifesto, he made it quite clear that even when the Congress party was supporting his government, he will put an end to the corruption sustained from past 70 years in this country which led to the loss of crores from common man’s pocket.
Kejriwal’s popularity is based on this singular agenda – ending corruption. And this is the precise reason that he was able to put up a spectacular debut in the assembly elections of Delhi and is confident of launching his candidates in 2014 general elections as well.
On the other hand, there are two principal parties of this country – Bhartiya Janata Party and Congress.
The BJP has garnered massive support and emerged as the single largest party in all the four assembly elections. It’s prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s soaring popularity is based on the fact that his own state is booming when it comes to economy, public safety and good governance. The party is a clear favourite among the people till now, however a certain faction is wary of Modi’s image as a communalist. But the clean chit to him by the SIT and Gujarat court on the riots of 2002 has started melting this criticism down.
Congress party has already lost everywhere due to the relay of corruption exposes during the UPA government in the centre. The party vice-president Rahul Gandhi is in the race for prime minister’s office and proves as an opposition within the Congress at time. Be it any policy moved by the Congress party, if it is against the popular sentiment, Rahul tears it down in the media. He has promised a corruption free government too and reiterated his stand on incorporating only ‘clean image’ politicians in the party and its government. However, whether this all is a real move by him or just a ploy to project himself as a clean image politician, is yet to be ascertained.
The BJP has decided to bring back BS Yeddyurappa who was removed as the chief minister of Karnataka on charges of corruption. This came riding on the fact that he has been exonerated by the Delhi high court in the corruption case.
At the same time, there is grievous charge of taking bribe on Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh. By far, Congress has kept silence on its stand while the clamour for his resignation is rising.
While Yeddyurappa may have been exonerated, the timing to bring him back in the party is questionable. The BJP had sacked Yeddyurappa and used it as a shield against any criticism which was hurled on it for not doing enough against corruption.
But with people making bold attempts to choose clean and good politicains, even when they are first timers, and with AAP preparing to go national, this move of the BJP may harm its 2014 dreams.
The Congress party too will face further burn if it does not take a solid stand on Virbhadra Singh soon. Rahul Gandhi, in fact, should come forward as he did in Adarsh and other cases and ask Singh to resign. Else his words will not be taken on their face value anymore. Addition to this will be his probable political death before doing anything significant as his party is already looking towards the grave.
