BJP has no chances in K'taka polls, says Krishna

IN POLL MODE: SM Krishna says inflation will have an impact on the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka.

        

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Keywords: Congress , Karnataka

Karan Thapar: Sounds as if you’re hoping against hope. So far we’ve talked about the external problems that constitute an obstacle for Congress in Karnataka. Now let’s talk about the internal divisions in your party. You may be smiling but you know that those are the biggest handicap that you’ll go into these elections with. The party is said to have six different factions – maybe seven. They’re all pulling in different directions. The problem is they’re not pulling together. That’s the first problem you face.

S M Krishna: Well, we have a good line-up of leaders in the Congress party.

Karan Thapar: In fact, you probably have too many leaders for safety.

S M Krishna: Well, we have too many and all of them can be accommodated. All of them can be, very respectably, accommodated and then utilised.

Karan Thapar: Well, utilised they may be, but respectfully accommodated can’t be because they all want the top job if the party wins. You can’t have nine Chief Ministers.

S M Krishna: Well, we can’t have nine Chief Ministers, but we need to have one Chief Minister and Congress has mustered the art of selecting Chief Ministers without upsetting the apple-cart.

Karan Thapar: Well, that’s to be seen this time round. To begin with, you’re already losing people. On Wednesday, M Mahadev and C Ramesh resigned from your party, some of their followers have left as well. That’s the beginning of the problem. It’s going to get worse and you know that.

S M Krishna: Well, a couple of individuals leaving the party and many more individuals preferring to join the party. Party is strong, its base and roots are also strong. So Congress will certainly overcome all these odds.

Karan Thapar: You see, it’s not just a couple of individuals leaving, and even if you say the party’s strong, today divisiveness is eating your strength. When you came back the cadres welcomed your return – they saw hope in it. Eight other leaders were jealous – Malik Arjun Harge made no secret of the fact that he wished you’d stayed behind in Mumbai, where he said you belonged. As a result, he put pressure on the Centre to cancel your proposed Belgaum to Bangalore yatra. So, there was no great welcome for you.

S M Krishna: Well, I didn’t expect a great welcome. All that was done was to come back to power to the state and then take up a position which I have always done, at least, listening to the Congress high command. The very people who appointed Mr Kharge as President of Andhra Pradesh Congress have appointed so-and-so as President of the Management and the Campaign.

Karan Thapar: Quite right, but Mr Kharge…

S M Krishna: My job is to bring about co-ordination and I have plunged myself totally in bringing about that co-ordination, and you will be surprised that we shall succeed.