New Delhi: With the Congress set for a clear majority in Karnataka Saturday, Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Basavraj Bommai conceded defeat saying, “We’ve not been able to make the mark”.
Bommai added: “Once the results come we will do a detailed analysis. As a national party, we will not only analyse but also see what deficiencies and gaps were left at various levels. We take this result in our stride.”
Karnataka had voted for the assembly on 10 May and as counting of polls votes continued Saturday, figures on the Election Commission website at 12.50 pm indicated that Congress was leading in 128 of 224 seats and won two. The BJP was meanwhile, leading in 66 seats.
The Janata Dal (Secular), JD(S), was trailing behind in a distant third place, leading on only 22 seats.
Karnataka witnessed a high-octane poll campaign with the BJP making Prime Minister Narendra Modi its face and double-engine growth its main slogan.
About a month before the polls, the BJP had altered its electoral strategy, moving away from polarising rhetoric such as Tipu Sultan versus Veer Savarkar, “love jihad”, hijab and halal and focusing instead on social engineering — centering its campaign around the state cabinet’s decision to increase reservation quotas for backward classes, scheduled castes and tribes.
In the final phase of the campaign, the ruling BJP had returned to its Hindutva ideology, chanting slogans like ‘Bajrang Bali ki Jai’ in an attempt to gain support after the Congress promised to ban ‘hate-spreading’ groups like the Bajrang Dal, which it compared to the outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI).
Meanwhile, the opposition party focused on local issues, emphasising alleged corruption and misgovernance. It also highlighted the purported mistreatment of Lingayat leader BS Yediyurappa, who had been pressured by the BJP high command to resign as chief minister in 2021.
As part of the BJP’s campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself held 19 rallies and six roadshows in the final week alone. Other prominent party members, such as Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J.P. Nadda, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan also participated in the campaign as star campaigners.
According to a Times of India report, BJP leaders made 311 visits to temples and mutts, held 9,125 public meetings, 1,377 roadshows, and 9,077 street corner meetings.
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and State Congress Chief D.K. Shivakumar led the Congress’ campaign in the state. However, several central leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, former presidents Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, as well as party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, addressed numerous rallies.
Congress path to revival?
The Karnataka election holds significance for the Congress hoping to revive its fortunes. Currently, the party is in power in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh, and is a junior partner in the Bihar and Jharkhand governments. Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan are scheduled to go to polls between November and December this year.
Although the Congress was able to win Himachal Pradesh last year, its first victory after a four-year gap, the results were largely attributed to anti-incumbency against the BJP-led government and infighting within the ruling party.
A victory in a major state like Karnataka is expected to boost the morale of the Congress cadres and put the party on a path towards revival.
On the other hand, the BJP is hoping to overcome its loss in Himachal and continue its winning streak in the lead-up to elections in five states towards the end of the year: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram.
Karnataka is the only southern state where the BJP currently holds power, and the party is looking to expand its presence south of the Vindhyas, starting with a strong performance in the Telangana election where it has emerged as the main opposition to the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi.
A defeat in Karnataka could have a negative impact on the BJP’s plans for expansion in the southern states.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)