In Karnataka, as in most other parts of the country, newly-elected chief ministers are normally allowed a free rein for at least six months ; the so-called honeymoon period. It is an unwritten practice that in this time both the media and opposition politicians desist from criticising them. The current incumbent H D Kumaraswamy however has not been extended this courtesy. A few weeks after his wedding to the gaddi in February this year allegations of corruption were hurled at him and his government. Any hopes of a honeymoon and the prospect of enjoying the first taste of power were dashed.

What made it worse was that the allegations came from an unexpected quarter - a legislator, G Janardhana Reddy, of the BJP - a partner in the government. Reddy charged that Kumaraswamy and his associates in the government had demanded and received a bribe of Rs.150 crore from mine owners in Bellary district.

Since the time he made the allegation,  Karnataka's politics has hinged on the drama the charges have unfolded and on which lie the fate of the government.

The Janata Dal (Secular), after the 2004 elections, allied with the Congress to form a coalition government. In a deftly-manoeuvred move which had all the hallmarks of his father and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's political shrewdness, Kumaraswamy ascended the throne ; breaking away from the Congress and aligning with the BJP. Though Gowda has consistently denied any role in shaping Kumaraswamy's fortunes,  the old man's involvement in first propelling his son to a leadership position in the JD(S) and later as Karnataka's chief minister is a no-brainer.

That the JD(S), a party which had sworn by secularism and adopted it as part of its moniker, could align with the BJP (which clearly has made no bones in using religion as a tool to further its political ends) was not lost on the polity. Though there were twitters and sniggers from the Congress and the more secular sections of the JD(S) the alliance was successful in establishing a government. Ironically, it would appear that not all sections of the JD(S) and the BJP were happy with the formation of the new government.  If some in the JD(S) were nervous with the new alliance, a sizeable section in the BJP was indignant.  Diehard members of the larger Sangh Parivar were of the view that playing second fiddle to the JD(S) would harm the chances of the BJP coming to power on its own in Karnataka – a long-term dream of the party.

Moreover, the alliance meant an upswing in the fortunes of B S Yediyurappa who became deputy chief minister. Yediyurappa, credited with building the BJP's organisational base in the state had utilized the cracks in the earlier JD(S)-Congress alliance to drive a wedge that finally split the two.  In the space thus created, Yediyurappa led the BJP into an alliance with the JD(S) and for the first time in
the history of the state the saffron party entered government.

Once in power, the JD(S) tried to take over more mines and this upset the BJP. Apparently, the charges made by Janardhan Reddy were with a view to checking the growing influence of the JD(S) in the area.  The mines in Bellary are no ordinary ones – the iron ore deposits have made the region a milch cow for mine owners,  politicians, contractors and other vested interests. And locals say that the earnings of each mine-owner/contractor run into crores each day.

Interestingly, Janardhan Reddy has no major stakes in mines in Bellary. The mines he owns are mostly across the border in Andhra Pradesh. Speculation is rife over his role in making life uncomfortable for Kumaraswamy.  While some say he has been set up by the Congress with whom he has cosy relations in Andhra Pradesh, others say a section of the BJP is behind his allegations so as to destabilise the Karnataka coalition and give an opportunity for the BJP to try coming to power on its own in the state.

The allegations have not managed to unsettle the BJP-JD(S) coalition. The reason, say party sources, is that no legislator is willing to go in for mid-term elections, including those in the Congress. Several legislators have been elected for the first time and it would be difficult for them to get the money to fight another election before the end of the current term.

But the situation is hotting up. Janardhana Reddy has already released two CDs which he claims prove his charges. The media and the public have however not been greatly impressed with the so-called proofs provided by him. Reddy says he has at least half-a-dozen CDs which he plans to release at frequent intervals.  The final word on the veracity of the allegations is yet to be said.