Given the two weeks in office , series of political developments are becoming more challenging than the Great Indian Rope trick the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular). Days after having announced  plans to fight the 2019 general elections together as a pre-poll alliance in Karnataka differences are cropping up on Cabinet induction.

On the face of it the announcement coming just 10 days after the swearing in of Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy looked like a dream come true for the anti-Modi parties.

It maybe recalled that H D Kumaraswamy’s swearing in ceremony had become a spectacle of sorts with several top leaders from various parties making it a point to attend the event to send across the message of the formation of an anti-Modi front.

The Friday announcement by AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal  on the Congress and JD(S) proposal to contest the 2019 Parliamentary polls as pre-poll allies seemed like a step beyond the spectacle of 25^th May 2018 in Bengaluru when the Congress President Rahul Gandhi , Senior leader Sonia Gandhi , BSP supremo Mayawati , Chandrababu Naidu , Mamta Banerjee , the left leaders Sitaram Yechury had joined hands to form a anti- Modi front.

The AICC General secretary K C Venugopal however refused to divulge any details of the talks when this reporter questioned him on how many seats the two parties propose to individually contest from the 28 Karnataka seats. The subsequent incidents are bringing friction to the fore. Both parties are struggling to keep the coalition going.

The big question however remains is whether  the formation of the alliance against Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a feasible concept. Many in the state don’t think that the plan would hamper BJP’s chances in 2019 in Karnataka. The BJP which holds 17 of the 28 Parliamentary seats in Karnataka is confident of putting up a better result.  Ravi Hegde, a senior journalist told The Sunday Guardian, “ The whole state has seen  K C Venugopal and the Congress top brass trying to convince H D Devegowda  and his son  Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to let the Congress party have the Finance portfolio”.

But the fact that an unrelenting H D  Kumaraswamy forced the Congress to cede to his demand for having the Finance portfolio was a clear indicator that an internal tug of war between the two parties is on. The contentious Bangalore Development portfolio promises to become the next big bone of contention.

As AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal announced  at the Joint Press conference ,” As per the wish of Shri Rahul Gandhi we are letting Mr Kumaraswamy to keep the finance portfolio” . While he reiterated that the arbitration between the two parties was amicable , the sources in the party indicate otherwise.

Maybe it was first time in the history of Indian politics that a written agreement was made between the two parties to share power. The agreement drafted by a senior Bengaluru based lawyer following the prolonged negotiations will see the Congress holding 22 ministers , including Deputy Chief Ministeer Dr G Parameshwara  and the Janta Dal (S) will have 12 ministers in the Karnataka cabinet including H D Kumarswamy as the Chief Minister.

Given the hurdles that the two week old coalition is facing , the two alliance partners  hope that the just formed  coalition coordination and monitoring committee under the leadership of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Will be able to ensure that frictions are minimized .  The coordination committee will meet at least once every month and will, apart from smoothing the rough edges of running the government together, clear every appointment to statutory boards and organisations.

Janata Dal ( Secular) General Secretary Danish Ali of the JDS will be its convenor. Speaking to The Sunday Guardian he said,”We are hopeful that the alliance will bring positive results and help both the parties grow.This is just the beginning”

The alliance will also come up with a common agenda for governance based on the manifestos of the two partners. But with the teething trouble that the alliance is facing , it looks like a herculean task for the two parties to keep the bond strong and retain trust.

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