The Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre is faced with the challenging situation of trying to rein in the two warring states, Karnataka and Maharashtra, where it is in power. However, it seems like the central government has taken a stand of no interference on this issue especially when one of them, Karnataka, is heading towards assembly elections in a few months.
The border tussle between the states often rears up ahead of assembly elections or just before Karnataka holds its winter assembly session in the “disputed” district of Belagavi. This time around, the Centre finds itself in an embarrassing position as Karnataka’s BJP government led by Basavaraj Bommai and Maharashtra’s Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena-BJP ruling alliance train guns on each other over the six-decade-old dispute of merging around 800 villages based on linguistic lines. The matter is pending in the Supreme Court based on Maharashtra’s petition filed in 2004 staking claim over the border district.
Political analyst Sandeep Shastri observes that it is very rare that the Centre is seen intervening to sort out inter-state disputes.
“In this case, all three, the Centre and both states, are ruled by the same party and it becomes difficult for the central government to take a stand. The Centre has always maintained a neutral stand asking the state to resolve the dispute between themselves,” Shastri told News18.
He elaborates that if the Centre is seen intervening it would look like it is taking sides and could damage electoral prospects. “In such cases, the Centre allows the dispute or matter to settle, based on the judgement delivered by the courts. I do not see the Centre doing anything in the matter, except play down the rhetoric,” he adds.
The BJP’s central leadership and PM Modi have been closely monitoring the border issue, a senior Karnataka BJP leader told News18. Seeking anonymity, the leader said the Centre had sent out strict messages to both CMs to maintain peace and await the decision of the Supreme Court.
“It should not be viewed as a BJP versus BJP issue. The demand made by Maharashtra holds no water as it was already settled by the Justice Mahajan Commission, which upheld Karnataka’s claims. Maharashtra is making a mountain out of the issue just as it does before every assembly session in Belagavi,” the leader said.
Two Maharashtra ministers, Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai, were to visit Belagavi on December 6 and hold a meeting with the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) but it was cancelled at the last minute. They were delegated by Shinde to monitor the Maharashtra-Karnataka border row and track the court case. Bommai had warned that he would not hesitate to resort to taking legal action against the ministers if they step foot in Belagavi.
Shambhu Raj Desai said that they would approach the Centre to intervene and take a call.
“The Centre should intervene and arrange a face-to-face meeting between delegations of Karnataka and Maharashtra. Karnataka has been trying to create a problem right from the beginning by oppressing Marathi-speaking people and imposing Kannada on them. The purpose of our visits is to meet our Marathi-speaking people and find out what the Maharashtra CM and deputy CM can do for them,” Desai said.
“Although people of the country are free to travel anywhere inside it, the state government has the right to take some action to maintain law and order,” Bommai said.
Shastri points out, “I think the Maharashtra ministers not coming to Belagavi must be based on a directive from the central leadership to ensure the issue does not escalate beyond control.”
On the question of whether the BJP leadership found themselves in an uncomfortable position socially when two high-stakes states are at each other’s throats, another state BJP office-bearer chose to say, “No comments.”
In anticipation of disruption of law and order in Belagavi, Bommai instructed Karnataka chief secretary Vandita Sharma to write to her Maharashtra counterpart, asking the ministerial delegation not to come in the existing environment as it could further ignite the already tense situation.
Tension has been building for the past week as the SC was scheduled to hear Maharashtra’s plea on the matter on October 30. The case is yet to be listed.
While Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis toed his party’s line of awaiting the decision to be taken by the court.
Karnataka alleged that Maharashtra has been seen trying to stoke the sensitive issue repeatedly. Bommai also clarified that Karnataka had no role in raking up this issue for the sake of elections. “We are committed to protecting the state’s borders and our people, and also the interests of Kannadigas living in Maharashtra, Telangana, and Kerala,” he said.
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