Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, Apr 30: The Congressmen from the district are putting themselves across as a different flock altogether since sometime, going by the way they are conducting themselves. A host of inaugurations, foundation laying ceremonies, etc are proceeding at a fast pace one after the other. It may be recalled that on April 24, local MLA, Pramod Madhwaraj, had laid foundation stones for seven different road projects worth Rs 17.65 crore on a trot. At a function held at Neelavara village on April 25, Rajya Sabha member, Oscar Fernandes, had formally initiated the work of building bridge across River Seetha.
It was ironic that the MLA took with him a number of Congress functionaries including some local city councillors when laying foundation stones at different places on a single day between Udupi and Havanje under 'Namma Grama Namma Raste' project. On the other hand, during the initiation of Seeta River bridge, both MLA and Oscar were present but former MP, Jayaprakash Hegde, was conspicuous by his absence although the project for the construction of bridge across the river had been sent by him when he was MP and Oscar was the union minister for surface transport. It is being said that the party did not extend any invitation to Hegde, not even a courtesy call. But a taluk panchayat member sought to dismiss the rumours by claiming that the former MP had been invited, but could not attend the programme as he had left for Bengaluru a couple of days before the programme.
MLA laying foundation for Neelavar-Kooradi bridge at Brahmavar
A look at the recent rumblings in Congress party reveals that Brahmavar block Congress president and a strong political leader with clout in the region, Birti Rajesh Shetty, left the party in a huff. It is said that lot of political games are going on in Brahmavar bock and a number of loyal Congress leaders are looking at the option of deserting the party.
The general opinion given by grass-root level Congress activists is that lack of unity has been hurting their party in the region. But these differences strangely have not been discussed openly nor an effort is made to unite the factions. No one knows why this is not being done.
Strangely enough, Hegde, with his behaviour, has shown that he always remains away from inauguration of development works initiated out of interest evinced by him. No one knows why he is showing this reluctance.
A general perception that is prevalent among the people at large is that the MLA has not been showing enough interest towards activists of his own party, in spite of enjoying their support. Allegedly, he functions at his own whims and fancies, without taking party activists into confidence. He likes to stay away from the crowd and shows individual preferences in his acts. This has left wide gap between two separate classes, one of leaders, and other of activists, it is said. The people also say that MLA acts like an autocrat as if he is not in need of support from party activists.
In this background, it is interesting to examine why Jayaprakash Hegde has been keeping distance from developmental programmes since he failed to retain his Lok Sabha seat during the last election. Congress party is also left with the task of finding out who can replace Birti in Brahmavar block Congress. It also should introspect as to what measures can be implemented by it to regain people's confidence and strengthen the party again.
The people are united in their assessment that this is the opportune time for the party for brace itself, ammend its ways, clear the misunderstandings, and reunite the party cadres and leaders. Because, the signals emanating from the way things are going in the party now are ominous, and not good for the future of the party, it is thought, as the people in general get confusing signals from the way the party leaders are behaving themselves. Brahmavar area has always been dominated by the Congress, and the party has been slipping from this dominance and losing its hold because of mistakes being committed by its own leaders. Lack of a strong leader and absence of combined leadership that can bring activists from all corners together under one umbrella has been hurting the party, and has become a general point of discussion in Brahmavar taluk.
In the past, we kept seeing or hearing that party workers are brought by buses, trains, trucks, and other vehicles for party programmes or election campaigns, felicitation programmes etc to make an impact. Bringing of people from outside for the programmes held in Brahmavar region was seen for the first time in last week's foundation-laying ceremonies.
People however, are appreciative of the fact that development works are being launched after a long wait in villages across this region.
About the absence of Jayaprakash Hegde at the foundation-laying ceremony of Seetha River bridge at Neelavar at an estimated cost of nine crore rupees, which was followed up and sanctioned during the tenure of Hegde as MP, people claim that protocol was not followed in spite of it being a government function, and the former MP was invited to the function only by some locals. Such things keep happening, and often people who put in efforts to get a project sanctioned are sidelined, and not invited for inaugural programmes. Particularly it happens when the concerned lose power during this period. However, Hegde has been doing lot of work for the people without trying to get political mileage for what he does, when he was MLA, MP, minister, or even when he is out of power. He has never sought any credit for what he has done, and even now he continues to serve the region and needy people of the constituency.
In this background, people of the region are surprised that they have a MLA who is not acknowledging work of party activists, and not responding to their needs or aspirations. He never gives importance to them, they lament.
Have these things got anything to do with the resignation of Brahmavar block Congress president? At a time when gram panchayat elections are fast approaching, Congress needs a strong backing from activists. Some developments are bound to happen within the block Congress soon. Is the party in a position to assert its supremacy in the region again in the coming election? Perhaps no one knows answer to these questions as of now, and time can only unravel the suspense.