With the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka failing to survive the trust vote, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has tendered his resignation. The nature of the collapse of the government is worrisome, as the drama that unfolded in Karnataka points towards the fact that political defections are today making a mockery of our democracy. However defections are just a symptom of a deeper malady - the ideological base and concern for people has completely eroded from today's political parties.