As farmer protests raged in many parts of the country, Karnataka’s Janata Dal (Secular) has found itself in a tricky situation. A party which brandishes its farmer roots and whose symbol is a woman carrying a bundle of hay, drew the ire of farmer organisations for helping the ruling BJP make amendments to a land ownership law that lifted restrictions on non-agriculturists buying farmland in the state.
But party leader and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy defended the move, saying he was only playing the role of a constructive Opposition—he claimed the party ensured a balanced law. “The party is being blamed unnecessarily without proper scrutiny,” he said, listing out pro-farmer schemes, such as a loan waiver, during his stint as CM.
Yet, Kumaraswamy is increasingly being seen as soft on the B.S. Yediyurappa government. In fact, a recent one-to-one meeting between the two have provided more fuel to the endless speculation over whether the BJP high command will eventually find a replacement for...
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