How old enemies turn political friends

Who said you need friends to form a government? Sworn enemies can bury the hatchet in a flash to form a government. For years, Congress’ Siddaramaiah has feuded with former Prime Minister and JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda. But after Tuesday’s results in the Karnataka election, Siddaramaiah has had to accept Gowda’s leadership following a power-sharing deal hammered out by the two parties.

Siddaramaiah and Gowda have a long history — the former was once Gowda’s protégé. But in 2005, Siddaramaiah walked out of JD(S) in a huff after Gowda anointed his son HD Kumaraswamy as his successor.

It is not the first time that foes have turned friends in an effort to gain the top spot. Across the country, last-minute alliances and quick friendships have been forged to for m gover nments.


In April 2015, for instance, when Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad held the hand of Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar and declared him chief ministerial candidate, it seemed like incredible. Onetime colleagues Lalu and Nitish had a bitter falling out and the latter had joined hands with BJP to become Bihar CM for two terms. But they did come together in 2015, only to acrimoniously part ways again.

In Uttar Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav struck an alliance for the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha byelections in March 2018, ending decades of rivalry and hostility. Mayawati, and Akhilesh’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav had a bitter row in 1995 when she decided to pull support from an SPled coalition government. SP cadres allegedly laid siege to the state guest house to thwart the withdrawal of support. As controversy erupted, the governor dismissed Mulayam and invited Mayawati to form the government.

Further west, Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar revolted against Sonia Gandhi over her “foreign origin” and broke from Congress to form Nationalist Congress Party in May 1999.

But, months later, in September 1999, when the Maharashtra assembly elections threw up a hung mandate, Pawar was back at the Congress’ doorstep seeking a coalition.

The Congress-NCP combine went on to rule Maharashtra for 15 years.