Picking up the lesser of all evils

Quite contrary to the speculation on whether Vijay Mallya would win the fourth seat to the Rajya Sabha from the state, it seemed pretty clear from the outset that he would have a safe passage. Anything that various political parties kept saying until the last minute was only for public consumption.

First thing first, Mallya would not have entered the fray if there was even an iota of doubt about the final outcome. It was not like his other pastime – racing – where he could simply throw a bet against tough odds. Politics, he knows for sure, is a different game and if numbers do not add up, it is a waste of time. More importantly, waste of lots of money.

In this case, the numbers would add up only if the JD(S), which sponsored him as an independent, and the BJP, which supported him on the pretext that he was truly an independent, joined hands. That was evident from the beginning and if the liquor baron got into the fray, it would be because he was absolutely sure of both the parties.

The Congress could not have won the second seat on its own. It was short of over 20 votes and it could make up the deficit only with help from the JD(S). The BJP would not have done business with the Congress.

The JD(S), as always, was willing to trade its support if there was a good bargain. As it turned out, it was even willing to back a Congressman if the choice was left to it. That is how Kupendra Reddy’s name cropped up fairly strongly. As the bargain broke down, it decided to support Mallya, and the BJP was quite willing to support him as well.

Such a deal may have completely left out loyal party workers and leaders, but a Mallya getting into the Rajya Sabha is much better than an MAM Ramaswamy, a patron of horse racing from Tamil Nadu, representing the state. The distinguished member who was elected to the Upper House of the Parliament was backed by Janata Dal (S) – a party that professes to work for the poor farmers and the downtrodden but has an uncanny habit of picking up moneybags every time an opportunity crops up.

That is why there is a strong belief that Rajya Sabha seats are on sale; may not be an out right sale or auction, but surely some consideration other than political reward. The JD(S) is not the first one to do it and can surely point a finger at the Congress for doing similar stuff in the past. As you can see, no one is a saint. No political party remembers the lofty principles that guided choice of candidates for the Upper House either.

Money, barter or rewarding loyalty even if there is no merit is no longer the issue. What is at stake is the very foundation. The Upper House is supposed to be filled with members who represent the state.

One can’t remember Venkaiah Naidu, an honourable member from the BJP, ever espousing the cause of Karnataka or articulating the problems of its people in Rajya Sabha. The other day he excused himself from such mundane tasks by loftily declaring that he is a national leader who ought not to be bothered with such details.

If Mr MAM Ramaswamy ever spoke inside or outside the Rajya Sabha on behalf of Karnataka, no one seems to have heard. No matter how wealthy and how eminent these gentlemen are otherwise, the purpose of electing them to represent the state is completely defeated.

To the extent that Mallya is a local even if his interests are global, he can be counted on to do better, may be only slightly better. That can’t be worse.