It is the election season in Karnataka. After the last assembly elections, the state legislative assembly saw a daily soap-worthy drama with horse trading and eventual change in the government.
Elections in the Indian states are an interesting phenomenon. On most occasions, the political pundits are spot on with their predictions, but there have been instances when the ‘bhavishyavani’ has gone wrong. The Karnataka state election is all the more tricky. With a higher level of unpredictability this time around, it is going to be hard for those covering and giving their punditry on elections to make a sound prediction for the same.
Where Does The Congress Stand?
Karnataka Congress. Credits : Hindustan Times
Following an ‘election’ for the post of their head, Congress finally got a non-Gandhi leader after aeons. The appointment of the Gandhi Loyal Kannadiga Mallikarjun Kharge was seen as an effort by the Congress party to show their democratic functioning.
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been making it to the news for his historic ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. The actor has almost travelled the entire country by now, showcasing his ability to draw crowds in all the states he visited.
However, the Bharat Jodo Yatra did not seem to help the Congress party in a state where they had a massive advantage earlier, Gujarat. After a slight mishit in 2017, the Bharatiya Janata Party made a strong comeback in their power centre.
Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi in Bharat Jodi Yatra. Credits – Telegraph India
The Congress has lost three big states in the last 4 years and almost lost Rajasthan, due to horse-trading. The lack of resources and political acumen to safeguard Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh was visible, a problem that still has no concrete solution.
Congress’ major hope this time around is the hateful propaganda spread by the BJP in the last couple of years. Although there have been timely instances of the show of power by uniting two of their top leaders on stage, the battle of egos might still hurt the Grand old party’s interest in the months to come.
Where Does The BJP Stand?
BJP Congress. Credits – Hindustant Times
The BJP has been relentless in Karnataka, as far as politics is concerned. Be it ‘snatching’ the state from the hands of the opposition, or blatantly encouraging and implementing hateful propaganda against the Muslim community. One of the major moves which might backfire for the BJP in the upcoming elections would be replacing the CM. Yediyurappa was a representative of the single largest community of the state, the Lingayats. The community which constitutes over 17 percent of the total population in the state, will be a game changer in the upcoming elections.
Sumalatha,Independent MP from Mandya. Credits – The Economic Times
Actor-turned-politician Sumalatha, who is a serving member of parliament from Mandya, Karnataka might be a dark horse in the upcoming elections. The former actress has been in touch with the Bharatiya Janata Party for a few months and that has fuelled the rumours of her being a serious Chief Minister’s candidate for the BJP. The Vokkaliga candidate will be the leader to look out for as the election season approaches. The popularity of the former actress and her stance in the state will be a bonus for the BJP if they can hit it out of the park with her.
The BJP has been unapologetic in its anti-Muslim stance in Karnataka. From the much controversial hijab issue to the ban on beef to action against Muslim traders, the BJP might have distanced themselves away from the country’s biggest minority but got several from the other side, closer.
