This news is another blow to the Grand Old Party of India, making its descent into oblivion more obvious day after day.

For those who came late, Sarekoppa Bangarappa (also known as Bum) had been the Chief Minister of Karnataka between 1990-92 before he was unceremoniously, albeit deservedly removed from the post by the then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. The two-year reign of Bangarappa saw the most venal, criminal, and violent face of politics in Karnataka. The distinction of converting Bangalore from a Pensioner’s Paradise to Pub City goes solely to him. He engineered the riots against Tamils (mainly in Bangalore) on the pretext of the endless Cauvery dispute. The height of his arrogance was when he diverted thousands of BMTC (then BTS, Bangalore’s local public transport system) buses to the Bangalore Palace Grounds to celebrate a seemingly important party event (don’t remember what it was), thereby putting thousands of Bangaloreans to inconvenience. When the Transport Minister (Azeez Sait?) protested this move on the grounds of public inconvenience, Bum resolutely divested the minister of his portfolio and allotted the portfolio to himself.

The very next week saw his dismissal.

Bangarappa hails originally from Soraba, a taluk in Shimoga district, where he wields tremendous clout. He has never tasted defeat but for once. Bum exhibits all hallmarks of an Ideal Indian politician: corruption, goondaism, opportunism, and selfishness. Add to this, his greatest political "asset:" backward caste. He hails from a caste that has traditionally brewed indigenous liquor (toddy, sarai, tharra, etc).

Being the opportunist that he is, Bum quit the Congress twice earlier only to rejoin the party. Bum’s political sheen had all but faded post-dismissal as the Chief Minister, and he had lain low. With the elections fast approaching, Bum as usual made the right noises about his being a senior leader, lack of importance in the party, etc. and threatened to quit. S.M. Krishna, the shrewd politican, didn’t pay much heed to him.

The reason Bum attributes to his resignation is that he’s had it with Sonia Gandhi’s arrogance and high handedness.

Even if we disregard Bangarappa’s resignation, the pointers are obvious: several senior Congress leaders have quit (and several are in the line) the party for the obvious reason that the party will not be able to make the required numbers. Sonia’s desperation is showing. The Grand Old Party that towered above others in its arrogance, continuously alienated itself from everybody for its own good, it’s staunch unwillingness to form alliances, its backstabbing tactics, and its ambition to drink deep from the Cup of Power alone has finally come a full circle.

Despite receiving recurring jolts (for want of a stronger word), the Congress fails to introspect; it continues to delude itself again and again:

Chief Minister S M Krishna on Sunday said that the Congress would not lose anything if former chief minister S Bangarappa quits the party

[...]

Asked whether the party’s poll prospects would be affected with the exit of Mr Bangarappa, Mr Krishna replied, “There will be no adverse effect on the party in the elections if he quits.

[...]

the Congress “has the resilience to withstand exit of any leader from the party.”

What I’m more worried about is that this scumbag has decided to join the BJP; obviously, the BJP has welcomed him with open arms. Why? Votes, of course. Of course, as I had said in an earlier blog, they are all the same.