Citing health reasons , the Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy has opted to stay away from the Official ‘Tipu Jayanti’ functionof the Government Of Karnataka.  The chief minister is on 3 day rest , away from politics and looking to spend time away from his hectic schedule and be with his family for the weekend. Is this the real reason on there is more than this that meets the eye. Also as the former state President of Janata Dal (Secular) didnt H D Kumaraswamy weigh the pro’s and cons of his decision to skip the Tipu Jayanti amidst the row that it creates every year.

Is it a political move to steer clear of any controversy surrounding the 18th century Mysore warrior Tipu whose image comes under attack every year by the opposition BJP which has taken upon itself to discredit the legendary figure. While the BJP which has been active with protests for the last few days , hoping to make political gains by the protests especially in Mysore and Kodagu regions , the Congress too has stuck to its guns and decided to go ahead and celebrate Tipu Jayanti in  a big way. A tradition of the Official function by Government Of Karnataka that was started by Siddaramaiah six years ago.

To those witness to the massive show of strength last year at the Vidhan Soudha by Congress leader Zamer Ahmed during Tipu Jayanti, where he sent a strong signal to the political class of him emerging as the new-gen mass leader of the community. Many in the Congress believe that H D Kumarwamy who fell apart with Zameer a few years back may be one of the reasons why the chief minister has opted to stay away from the official celebration. It maybe recalled hat thousands of youth from the Chamrajpet constituency of Zameer Ahmed had thronged the Vidhan Soudha during last year celebrations to show Zameer’s popularity literally holding the Soudha under seige

But one question that haunts many is , whether the JD(S) staying away from Tipu Jayanti could be continuation of the efforts by the party to develop a  Pro-Hindu image. The temple hopping Chief minister has spared no effort to build a Hindu vote bank in his community. Is the Chief minister wanting to steer clear of any controversy surrounding Tipu , with possible tie ups with BJP in future.

It was his alliance with the BJP in 2006 that kept the muslim minority away from the party and the state leadership knows that it will be a while before the minority voters trust Kumaraswamy again.