Between noon and tea time, small-town Karnataka gives you a glimpse of what could well be in store post-poll. Soon after S.M. Krishna is ushered into the Congress rally venue in Anavatti, a gaggle of deserters from the Gowda party is welcomed with equal warmth. The state’s most urbane political face sits through the ritual stoically. Thanks to dark glasses, there is no telling which way he looks. As the three-cornered campaign peaks through the middle phase, like the rest of his ilk he thinks it best to keep his eyes concealed and wide open.

Diplomatic or otherwise, silence isn’t what the crowds have come for. So after the mandatory slogan shouting and garlanding, Krishna gets up to speak. For Kumar Bangarappa, a deserter himself. To be fair, only from the Papa Bangarappa clan. Ever since he left a successful film career to join politics, Kumar has stayed through a decade with the Congress. Evidently he is no respecter of paternal values. Bangarappa Senior meanwhile traveled widely, from Congress to BJP to, last heard, Mulayam, with a brief freelancing stint running his own party.

The operative part of Krishna’s speech, delivered with seasoned flair, is anointing Kumar as a future minister. The Congress is being constantly needled as the only major player without a Chief Ministerial candidate. Never mind. The cabinet is being announced in advance.

Kumar is taking on brother Madhu—backed with a vengeance by Dad. The intricate family drama goes unmentioned. Who cares? Dynasty, like defection, is a fact of electoral life. Krishna winds up his address Krishna-like, invoking The Mahabharata. “In the war between cousins, Lord Krishna took the right side. I am only S.M. Krishna and I urge every one of you to back the right Bangarappa son.”

... contd.