Amit Shah outwitted by Congress-JD(S) combine in Karnataka

To the surprise and indeed relief to Congressmen themselves, not a single Congress MLA in Karnataka abstained, fell ill or switched their loyalty to the BJP on Saturday. Nor did JD(S) MLAs, thus forcing the resignation of BS Yeddyurappa’s short-lived two and a half-day Government. In the process, they made a significant dent in the aura of invincibility around the BJP.

While fats-moving developments in Karnataka can still change the narrative, the Congress and the JD(S) can bask for the moment for standing up to pressure exerted by the central agencies and allurements held out by the BJP to switch their loyalty.

In a remarkable and unprecedented political development in Indian politics, Congress today released as many as five audio tapes in which different emissaries of the BJP can be heard offering handsome returns for supporting the BJP. While Karnataka BJP has been quick to debunk the tapes as fake and doctored, an investigation is required to expose the people who may have tried to influence the floor test.

These are the five takeaways for the Congress from the high drama in Karnataka :

• Congress showed a flexibility and speed that it had not shown in Goa, Manipur and Gujarat when it quickly extended its support to the JD(S) when it became clear that it would not secure a majority on its own.
• Congress was again quick to approach the Supreme Court and forced the apex court to hold a midnight hearing when the Governor invited B S Yeddyurappa to form the Government. A regional party on its own may not have been able to secure such quick relief.
• The Supreme Court was again approached when the Governor opted for a relatively junior member of the Assembly as Pro Tem Speaker and extracted the promise of a live telecast of the floor test.
• The Congress again showed its organisational muscle by ensuring that the MLAs belonging to the coalition are quickly whisked away to Hyderabad and sequestered.
• The party was also quick to anticipate the allurements that would be held out and asked the MLAs and their family members to record the calls they receive from BJP’s emissaries.