Recession won’t stop netas

By M H Ahssan

Politicians’ Calls For Funds In The Election Season Disgust Business Leaders

Industry heads in the state are gearing up for an election ritual they have come to dread: calls for funds. They say if market rumours are any indicators then political parties have pegged the spending on each MLA at Rs 5 to Rs 10 crore, depending on the candidate and the constituency. “They will obviously get the money by drilling a hole into our pockets,” says an industrialist.

Businessmen say the 2009 election would drain them like no other election did for they are dealing with two debilitating factors — severe recession and a greater number of political parties in the fray this election season.

“With so many different parties seeking funds and our business in doldrums, it just makes things that much more difficult for us,” says an industry senior. They also say they fear saying no to any political party because in these times of coalition governments, one doesn’t know which party could emerge as an important one in the new government.

By now most industry heads are familiar and disgusted with the modus operandi of fund generation. They say that secretaries of senior politicians simply sit down with business directories, call up business houses on their board lines, ask for the chairman or the managing director and within seconds of being connected make their demand for money. “They don’t request. They simply order. If you refuse to cooperate, they start blackmailing you,’’ says an industrialist. Apparently the ‘revenge’ that parties seek could range from a planned exercise such as a sales tax raid to the more filmy knee-jerk form of sending local goons to disrupt work at a project site.

“During the last election, soon after I declined to contribute funds, my work virtually came to a stand still. From my building plan to deviations, the sanctioned plan, the authenticity of my land documents, everything was questioned by various government bodies,” recalls a builder. Needless to say, he admits to reaching a ‘compromise’ soon so that work could resume.

While calls for funds are yet to begin during this election season, the pressure to turn in favours is already mounting. “You don’t give a job to a candidate referred by them and they get raids conducted,’’ rues a senior industrialist pointing out to how he began diverting his business investments to Bangalore, to possibly insulate himself from the political mess here.

Businessmen complain that political affiliations are being imposed on them, largely based on their caste and creed. “If business is related to a particular political party, it causes great discomfort. We are technocrats, entrepreneurs and do not wish to be identified with any party. I will do whatever is right for the company and not for some political interest,” says the head of a firm.

“The business community definitely has a relationship with political parties but this kind of political interference in business is simply not done,” asserts an industry senior. He adds that of late, business houses have been buzzing with incidents of a vindictive nature for not having turned in a favour to a political party.