In a do-or-die battle for power in Karnataka, the BJP emerged triumphant while the Congress suffered a humiliating defeat. Just at a time when the narrative against the BJP appeared to be firming with the formation of Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra, the saffron brigade made a stunning comeback in Karnataka to sweep the bypolls. If ever there was a golden chance to teach BJP a lesson in politics, this was the moment. A Congress sweep would have sent a message loud and clear to all defectors and party-hoppers, but in the end, it only flattered to deceive.
Just at a time when chief minister B S Yeddyurappa was fading away, the BJP veteran re-established his relevance in State politics and almost single-handedly managed to perch himself firmly on top of the throne. The odds were heavily stacked against Yeddy this time around since his government was hanging by a thin thread of bypoll hope coupled with the rebellion within.
On the flip side, the Congress suffered a major humiliation winning in only two seats “ Hunsur and Shivajinagar. Party leader Siddaramaiah’s resignation as the leader of opposition in the assembly and Dinesh Gundurao stepping down as KPCC president shows the helplessness of state party leadership. This defeat will be hard to digest for the Congress because it had won 12 of those 15 seats in the previous election. The result reflects a complete failure of the party to capitalize on the huge wave of resentment that was expected to play on the minds of the electorate. Congress was seen at an advantage because they were fighting against defecting partymen who worked against the mandate. Also, there was resentment within the BJP grass-root workers who were not happy with Congress rebels taking pole position displacing leaders from their cadre.
The Karnataka script is somewhat similar to Goa where a 10-member Congress group joined the BJP circumventing the anti-defection law. Yeddy’s victory could change political perspectives in Goa because there is a common belief that the BJP will be a temporary home for Babu Kavlekar and company. The Karnataka verdict, and to a certain extent the May Goa bypoll, have established the fact that electorate may not root out party-hopping leaders. Or, it could also be a case where the Congress is regularly failing to rise to the occasion and make a statement.
While the recent Maharashtra elections signalled re-emergence of regional player Shiv Sena, in Karnataka JDS failed to make an impact in the bypoll indicating that regionalism is far becoming a myth in an age of power politics. Moreover, acceptance of regional parties will depend on the trust they build with the electorate. Results indicate that regional politics can’t be a norm and will vary in every state depending on the leaders and the issues at hand.
