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In Karnataka, the bickering has only gotten intense.

It was no secret that the former chief minister S Sidharamaiah of the Congress wasn’t too happy with the way election results panned out and he had to abdicate in favour of his bete noire – Deve Gowda and family to block the BJP from snatching away its prized possession – cash and revenue rich Karnataka.

Stopping the BJP was paramount as also it was to present a more accommodative Congress to the plethora of potential allies for the 2019 general elections. After Kairana, Phulpur and Gorakhpur, Karnataka presented the opposition with the template it needed to beat Prime Minister Narendra Modi – BJP president Amit Shah combine.

A template that calls for supreme sacrifice on the part of the Congress that is getting reduced in its strength across the country, but even on its apparent downfall the Congress does pack enough punch to frustrate its principal political opponent, the BJP.

But it sure does have a cost.

As Karnataka is highlighting, with the ruling combine fighting it out in the public on a plethora of issues.

As if the fight over spoils of office was not enough, the battle has now gone deeper and become more intense. This time it is over policy – Siddaramaiah who presented a full budget in February does not want another budget that the chief minister and JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy is readying to present.

Now, Siddaramaiah finds himself orphaned and sidelined, though he was made the chief of the coordination panel of the two parties. His case is more like that of BJP veteran LK Advani, who is heading the margdarshak mandal of the BJP that is totally ignored. Likewise, the chief minister not only ignores Siddaramaiah but also continues to rub salt into his wounds –“ I am not dependent on Congress or beholden to anyone for the office.”

But before making this bold statement, Kumaraswamy paid the mandatory courtesy visit to 10 Janpath and also took permission from AICC president Rahul Gandhi to present a full budget. Whether the Congress leadership indicated that none of the Congress welfare schemes announced by Siddaramaiah should be shelved is not known.

But the apprehensions of the same – stopping Indira Canteens or free education for girls upto 12th standards – is being voiced by Siddaramaiah.

Top Congress leaders as also persons close to the ruling dispensation in the State are convinced that notwithstanding the serious differences between the two parties, and king sized egos of the local leaders, the alliance and the post-poll coalition government will last, albeit shakily for obvious reasons.

But, it is the compulsion of the Congress that ensures the longevity of the Kumaraswamy government as a strong BJP is only waiting to pounce on any hint of chance presented by the bickering post-poll allies. Which is why, the Janata Dal (S) would stretch, but not till the elastic snaps.

The expectation is that the Kumaraswamy government will last till the 2019 general elections, for sure, as the Congress is making a play for a greater role at the centre rather than tinker in the states, where strong regional players are well established.