The BJP central leadership has always seen Karnataka as a gateway to make political inroads in other southern states. So, it becomes crucial for the party to make a comeback again with an even greater mandate. For that, the ruling party, BJP is planning to launch an aggressive political campaign in the state. With only 10 months left until the Karnataka assembly elections, the party leadership has started preparations in full swing.
Sounding the poll bugle
It has been a trend for the past many elections that the Prime Minister visits the state which is scheduled to go to elections. With his visits, he sets the tone for the party in the respective states. After which several Ministers throng the state and a slew of development measures are inaugurated.
With these visits the party regroups, energises its cadets and short out the possible lacunas or conflicts within different groups in the party. Evidently, the same successful policy of PM Modi is being utilised for the upcoming Karnataka elections.
Read More: Karnataka is going to set a Benchmark for the revival of Hinduism in South India
PM Modi is scheduled to visit Bengaluru for attending the Yoga Diwas.
With this visit he will sound the poll bugle for upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka. BJP Chief JP Nadda arrived in Karnataka on 18th June to look after all the preparations before this crucial visit of PM Modi.
The party is working on an aggressive policy just like those it followed during the Bengal elections. It is going into the elections keeping a high target of 150+ in mind. These visits will be followed by a meeting between the CM and several senior Ministers with the RSS functionaries.
This meeting has been called by RSS on 23rd-24th June. With all these visits the party is aiming to achieve more synergy and fill in the possible gaps to achieve their targets. The Union Home Minister and BJP’s main election strategist Amit Shah is also scheduled to visit Karnataka.
Result of 4 state council seats
Earlier, the BJP won two seats out of four state legislative council seats that went to polls on 13th June. With this the BJP has again achieved a clear majority in the 75-member council. BJP now has a strength of 38 legislators while the Congress has a tally of 26. 8 JD(S) members and one independent make up the rest with two seats vacant.
| Constituency | Name of BJP Candidate and votes polled | Name of Congress Candidate and votes polled |
| Northwest teachers | Arun Shahpur (6,405) | Prakash Hukkeri (11,460) |
| Northwest graduates | Hanamant Nirani (44,815) | Sunil Annappa Sank (10,122) |
| West teachers | Basavaraj Horatti (9,266) | Basavaraj Gurikar (4,597) |
| South graduates | MV Ravishankar (33,878) | Madhu Madegowda (46,082) |
The loss for the BJP candidate in Northwest Teachers constituency is a cause of worry for the party. It has usually been a strong hold for the party. It has over 20 MLAs and four Lok Sabha members in Belagavi, Vijayapura and Bagalkot districts.
Basavaraj Horatti has been a 7 times JD(S) veteran who recently resigned as the Chairman of Legislative Council to contest from BJP ticket and won for the 8th time. Reports suggest that he may be made Chairman of the legislative council again.
The Congress scripted two remarkable victories, one each from BJP and JDS bastions. It snatched the NW teachers’ seat from BJP and trumped the JDS in the south graduate constituency.
Strategy going ahead
The BJP would want to short out any grievance of the former CM and tallest leader of the Lingayat community B.S. Yediyurappa. Further, the BJP would want to dent the Vokkaliga community voters who are claimed to predominantly vote for JD(S).
The JD(S) in the past allied with Congress, a choice which it later repented badly. Also, it is losing strongholds in its bastions which the BJP can cash on. Additionally the Congress is a divided house in the state. It clearly has two factions – DK Shivakumar and MB Patil who recently fought badly in the open.
Read More: Congress fights Congress in Karnataka
Further, the state had earlier witnessed communal issues like “Pehle Hijab fir Kitab”, Halala and brazzen loudspeakers. This has led to a reverse polarisation and a strong push for Hindutva in the state.
The RSS planned a meeting with top state BJP leaders to give a clear signal that it will support the party in the upcoming election. It will help the party in converting the undercurrent within Hindus to vote for BJP.
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The BJP with a strong support of RSS and undercurrent of Hindutva is the favourite to make a comeback in the Karnataka assembly elections. Also, the recent fights between JD(S), Congress and internal fights within Congress will work in the favour of incumbent BJP government.
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