New Delhi: With the political tussle between O Panneerselvam and VK Sasikala reaching fever pitch in Tamil Nadu, ‘resort politics’ is back with a bang.
Chinamma Sasikala paraded the AIADMK’s 134 MLAs before the media and whisked them off to a resort in Kalpakkam to prevent them from being poached.
South India has a rich political tradition of ‘resort politics’.
Resorts and five-star hotels in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are always on the alert for political instability as it could result in a windfall for them.
As the leaders slug it in the political game of thrones, the legislators are herded to resorts to ensure their loyalty.
Here is a state wise history of resort politics:
Andhra Pradesh - the pioneer
1984: NT Rama Rao was dismissed and an upstart called Nadendla Bhaskar Rao installed as chief minister in Hyderabad. NTR, as the popular film star turned politician was known, asked for a day to prove his majority while the upstart was given a month by the Governor to prove his. As a precaution, NTR whisked his MLAs to a resort in Mysore, where they were given shelter by then Karnataka Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde.
1995: The pioneer of resort politics himself became a victim. In 1995 NTR’s son-in-law, Chandrababu Naidu, led a coup and split the Telugu Desam Party. He herded the 200 odd MLAs to a popular five-star hotel in Hyderabad. High drama ensued, with NTR and his then wife Lakshmi Parvati camped outside the hotel gates, which were shut, imploring the MLAs cooped inside to come back. Chappals, rocks, and insults were thrown back and forth. It didn’t work and most of the MLAs supported Naidu, who became the chief minister. NTR died a bitter man six months later.
Karnataka - which perfected the art
1990: When Veerendra Patil was deposed as CM, his agriculture minister S Bangarappa whisked Congress MLAs to a resort and duly became the chief minister.
1992: When Verappa Moily was installed as CM to succeed S Bangarappa, several MLAs were again wined and dined in resorts.
2002: Maharashtra chief minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh brought his MLAs to Karnataka and parked them in a resort before a trust vote in his state Assembly.
2008-09: The infamous Reddy brothers from Bellary sent Karnataka MLAs to a post five-star hotel in Hyderabad in order to oust BS Yeddyurappa.
2011: Chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, who had to quit for his alleged involvement in illegal land deals and mining, took 60 legislators to a swanky resort on the outskirts of Bangalore to ensure that his nominee Sadananda Gowda became his successor. In less than six months, Yeddyurappa again resorted to a resort to ensure that Gowda was removed and he reinstated.
2015: Resort politics was resorted to during local body elections. Independent corporators of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike were shipped off to a resort in Kerala to prevent horsetrading for the mayor’s post. Other councillors were sent to a resort in Madikeri in Kodagu district.
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