THERE was a time when news reports and political analyses about a government’s performance were published on completion of one year in office. Gradually, this period came down to 100 days. Now it has shrunk further to just one month, as in the case of Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.
If this speeding up continues, we may soon get to read a news analysis in newspapers along the following lines:
The state government reached a landmark today when, proving all detractors wrong, it completed one day in office.
In these 24 hours, the Chief Minister has emerged much stronger. He had started off with a 32-party coalition, which has now swelled to 39, with the arrival of 12 parties and the departure of five.
Today he holds all levers of power. His wife is Deputy Chief Minister. One son is Speaker, six sons are Ministers without Portfolio and nine daughters are OSDs.
Five of his brothers-in-law have been posted as Deputy Commissioners and nine sons-in-law are now district police chiefs following out-of-turn promotions.
It is rather early to make a comprehensive assessment of his performance, but the decisions taken by him in these 24 hours stand testimony to his political astuteness.
The very first order he passed was to declare that the posts of Chief Parliamentary Secretary and Parliamentary Secretary were not “offices of profit”. Not only that, he also ordained that Associate Parliamentary Secretaries, Deputy Parliamentary Secretaries, Assistant Parliamentary Secretaries and Sub Parliamentary Secretaries that his government was going to appoint — with pay and perks equivalent to that of a minister — too would be exempted.
Board and corporation chairmen already stand excluded.
To cast his legacy in stone, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of 23 projects on his first day in office and re-inaugurated 35 schemes completed by the previous regime .
He also unveiled statues of his mother in 27 parks all over the state. In official Press notes, she has been described as an outstanding visionary, who had the foresight to give birth to a great leader like him.
By a significant order, he released about 200 lifers and 1,400 other hardened criminals from jails. Since most of them are bound to join politics, he has developed a good support base for himself.
His decision to increase reservations in all institutions to 99.99 per cent will also stand him in good stead. As no political party can afford to oppose reservation, the Bill is expected to have an easy passage, despite the hue and cry by the public.
In a highly popular move cheered by the student wing of his party, who are the voters of the future, he has allowed copying in all exams. To silence criticism for sending his children to expensive boarding schools, he has abolished teaching of “elitist” subjects like English, maths and computers from all government and private schools in the state.
Political pundits are of the view that due to such bold initiatives, it will be no surprise if the Chief Minister continues to be in the saddle for full one month.
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