Did BJP overdo its bravado? Results say yes and how!

Bengaluru: The Karnataka state assembly election results are out, with the Congress emerging as the largest party, defying predictions of an unstable assembly. Congress won in 136 constituencies, surpassing the 113 seats required to form the government, while the BJP could only muster 65 seats . JDS secured 19 seats, and four non-party candidates were also victorious.

The BJP's significant defeat raises the question of why the party, which was confident of reclaiming power, suffered such a loss. The party had it coming and the state leadership knew it was coming, Here are some interesting observations:

Anti-incumbency wave

There was a clear anti-ruling sentiment against the BJP in Karnataka, fueled by allegations of overthrowing the coalition government, unconstitutional actions, and accusations of corruption, with Congress effectively capitalizing on this sentiment through their "Pay CM" campaign.

Neglect of BS Yeddyurappa

Former CM BS Yeddyurappa, who played a crucial role in the BJP's rise to power in Karnataka, felt neglected this time, leading to internal strife within the party and a lack of damage control.

Discontent among the Lingayat community

Despite making promises to various communities, including the Lingayat community, the BJP failed to retain its strong support from this group, as well as from Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, and Vokkaligas.

Performance of Basavaraja Bommai

The BJP's decision to replace Yeddyurappa with Basavaraja Bommai as Chief Minister resulted in a lack of a strong political face and failed to meet the expectations of the masses for change and progress. In contrast, the Congress had prominent figures like DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah as CM aspirants.

Neglect of senior leaders

The BJP overlooked senior leaders like Yeddyurappa, Jagdish Shettar, and Lakshmana Savadi, which led to their disillusionment and subsequent joining of the Congress. Not giving tickets to 20 sitting MLAs and favouring 75 new MLAs also proved to be a wrong decision.

Dependence on central leaders

State BJP leaders relied heavily on central leaders such as Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, JP Nadda, and Yogi Adityanath, rather than promoting local leaders and highlighting successful state-level schemes.

Allegations of corruption

Cases involving corruption, such as the suicide of a contractor during Eshwarappa's tenure as rural development minister and the imprisonment of Channagiri MLA Madal Virupakshappa and his son, harmed the BJP's image.