Business Of Politics

The decision of the BJP government in Karnataka to stand by the Reddy brothers is most likely driven by political compulsion. The Reddy brothers reportedly have the support of more than 30 legislators who are needed to make up the numbers for the Yeddyurappa government. However, the party may have lost precious public support by refusing to take note of the allegations of corruption levelled against the brothers, who run a mining empire in the state.

Given the serious charges of illegal mining against the brothers, they should have been asked to step down from their ministerial posts till they were cleared. The chief minister asserts that the Reddy brothers are not responsible for illegal mining. But he has promised a probe by the lokayukta into illegal mining since 2003. His assurance is hardly convincing. One of the reasons cited by N Santosh Hegde, the lokayukta of Karnataka, for his resignation from the post was non-cooperation from the state government in his efforts to stem corruption. He has since withdrawn his resignation but the charges he made against the government stay. Equally strong have been the remarks made by governor H R Bhardwaj, who overreached his constitutional role when he went public with his criticism. The Yeddyurappa government owes the people an explanation. Such a short-sighted approach to corruption could impact the party's image and long-term prospects in the state.

What comes out of the present episode is the extraordinary influence the mining lobby seems to have over the political system in Karnataka. The Reddy brothers are not merely BJP leaders but state ministers with the means to control the government. Time and again they have shown that they hold the key to survival of the only BJP government in south India. They've been in electoral politics for just a decade but in this short period they have made the BJP a force to reckon with in their stronghold and consolidated their own political clout.

Political instability in Jharkhand has been attributed to the peddling of influence and mixing of private mining interests with state politics. To ensure that Karnataka is not headed the same way the onus is on the BJP, which must take most of the blame for allowing the Reddy brothers a free run. But the Congress and the JD(S), which at this point of time are trying to highlight corruption in the state, are not free of blame either. It is time the political class recognises the need to regulate businesses so that doing business legally becomes easier in the state.