new delhi paul henry would be happy to add this to his long list of grouses some real many imagined against india the foulmouthed kiwi news anchor with a surprising and stunning distaste for brown people should follow developments in karnataka closely it could be crucial fodder for another vitriolic attack against us this time perhaps on the very shaky foundation on which the worlds biggest democracy standsindian politicians have after all long indulged in and often encouraged a very undemocratic habit the herding and whisking away of mlas during periods of political instability and flux henry would be shocked by this travesty of the grand institution of democracy for indians though its just a little drama before things miraculously fall in place it always does and like one of those peta ads which say no animal has been harmed during its making the netas may be bundled up pushed around forced into planes and fettered in hotels but no one gets hurt in the unfolding drama in karnataka which has come as the latest in the hoary dubious tradition of resort politics a minister who had initially led the revolt against the bs yeddyurappa government and is now suddenly back in the party fold has just alleged that 100 goons have forcibly taken away and kidnapped 13 mlas the congress and jds have been blamed for the crime bjp dissidents and congress mlas though under apparent house arrest are being pampered but things wont be clear until they gather for a floor test on october 11 there are whispers that horse trading as usual has begun and its anybodys guess what the inducements are the going price for switching loyalties is said to be in the range of rs 3050 crorebut one of the most bizarre cases has come from peaceful himachal pradesh many say an independent legislator was beaten up by both the congress and bjp as part of a pressure tactic during the 1997 assembly election when there was a split verdict and the vote of the renegade mla mattered most to both the big parties he is said to have begged the governor to accept his resignation and free him from his miserable fate what is known however is that ramesh dhwala a legislator from kangra was virtually abducted by congress workers as he was furtively heading to shimla the beleaguered mla promptly aligned with the bjponly in june this year the bjp in rajasthan corralled its mlas in an attempt to ensure winning numbers for its rajya sabha candidate ram jethmalani the partys 66 mlas were put up in a luxurious hotel a comfortable place with ac booze and good food is nonnegotiable and legislators will merrily partake of this even while complaining of extreme duress and even watched in their trunks the justreleased katrina kaifstarrer rajneeti it was a pirated cd and created another round of controversyif there is one government that has looked more uncertain than the bamboo