Bengaluru: With the Election Commission on Wednesday announcing the Assembly elections in Karnataka on May 10, the stage is set for a keen ‘two-and-a-half’ cornered contest – the ‘bitter half’ being the Janata Dal (Secular).
While the BJP and the Congress are locked in a tough no-holds barred fight, the ‘also ran’ JD(S) once again threatens to play spoilsport in its Vokkaliga stronghold of Old Mysuru region.
The stakes are high as a resurgent Congress is giving the saffron brigade’s only fort in the south a tough battle. The BJP is facing an uphill task due to three reasons: anti-incumbency, corruption and no chief ministerial face. The party is solely dependent on the charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has already made eight visits to the state inaugurating various schemes and addressing poll rallies.
Amit Shah has been working to consolidate Hindu votes, knit communities together
While Modi makes emotional appeals, it is Union Minister Amit Shah who has been working behind the scenes to consolidate Hindu votes and knit communities together. The biggest worry for the BJP is corruption. With the Basavaraj Bommai government getting the tag of ‘40% commission sarkar’, the saffron party will find it difficult to blur the stains of rampant graft.
Congress' aggressive defiant move with RaGa, campaigning to begin in Kolar
The Congress has made an aggressive and defiant move with Rahul Gandhi planning to launch his Karnataka campaign with a rally on April 5 rally in Kolar -- the place where he made the comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surname that led to his two-year jail term and disqualification from Parliament.
"Rahul Gandhi will return to Kolar and begin his Satyameva Jayate Rally. We had requested him to begin the election yatra from where he had made this statement," said state party chief DK Shivakumar. “This will mark the beginning of the end of the 40% commission in the state”, he said.
All eyes are on Old Mysuru, a JD(S) stronghold
Though the BJP and the Congress are confident of a victory, all eyes would be on the Old Mysuru region where the Gowda dominated Vokkaliga community stands united behind the JD(S) led by former prime minister HD Deve Gowda. In the previous elections, it was the JD(S) that prevented the BJP, which had emerged as the single largest party, and the Congress from forming a government.
This time, the BJP and the Congress have launched a simultaneous attack on the JD(S) fort hoping to crack the Old Mysuru political conundrum.
AAP joins the race, to contest for all 224 seats
Also in the race is the Aam Aadmi Party which is contesting all the 224 seats. Though the AAP is not a serious worry for the BJP or the Congress, the Delhi party is testing the political waters in Karnataka in the coming Assembly elections.
Congress and BJP chalk out strategies
On the strategy side, the BJP has been successful in keeping the powerful Lingayat community together while making some inroads into the Vokkaliga belt. With Amit Shah at work, the BJP has been able to knit various Hindu groups together and the recent announcement hiking the reservation quota for the two dominant communities may go in its favour.
The Congress is trying to catch the Delhi wind triggered by the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi. The party is likely to use this issue to the hilt. The party has been successful in brokering peace between two CM aspirants – Opposition leader and former CM Siddaramaiah and KPCC president DK Shivakumar.
Siddaramaiah made a clever move by announcing that this will be his last election. This may tip the scales when it comes to the selection of a chief minister should the Congress win. DKS is comparatively young and has a long political road ahead. A compromise formula is also in the fire with Siddaramaiah and DKS sharing power for two and a half years each.
Congress ready to throw out '40% Commission Govt'
After the announcement of the Karnataka Assembly poll schedule, Congress said that it is ready to face elections and has resolved to throw out the "anti-people 40% commission government". All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the Congress will form the government with the blessings of the people. "As Karnataka goes to polls on May 10, Congress resolves to usher in a New Era of Peace-Progress-Prosperity and rebuild Brand Karnataka, Restore Kannadiga Pride, with Congress guarantees at the centre of a welfare driven Government," he said.
Karnataka Assembly Election 2018
The last assembly election in Karnataka was held in May 2018, which resulted in a hung assembly. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 104 seats but fell short of a majority. The Congress and JD-S formed a post-poll coalition with 80 and 37 seats respectively and formed the government with Kumaraswamy as the Chief Minister. However, in July 2019, the coalition collapsed after several MLAs resigned from their parties and joined the BJP. The BJP then formed the government with BS Yediyurappa as the Chief Minister. He resigned in July 2021 and was replaced by Bommai.
Will history repeat itself is to be seen. All said, the coming Karnataka Assembly Election will also reflect the outcome of a polarisation campaign on religious lines which has been happening over the years.
