Bengaluru: The ground is now clear for the Congress to return to power in Karnataka after crossing the comfortable majority threshold while leading in several other constituencies. The BJP is expected to settle at 70 seats or less, forcing Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to concede the defeat, acknowledging the Prime Minister and party cadres’ efforts. The JDS, on the other hand, seems to be losing out, with its seat tally set to come down from 37 in 2018 to just 23 in this election.
The Karnataka election results were a "stepping stone to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections", according to former CM and Congress Leader K Siddaramaiah, who also expressed his hope that all non-BJP parties come together to ensure the defeat of the BJP and that Rahul Gandhi may become the country's prime minister in 2024.
He said that elections proved that "the people of Karnataka do not tolerate hate politics". He also accused the BJP of trying to win the election with money and power.
In its first official reaction to the Karnataka Assembly results, Congress said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had "lost" as the BJP had made its election campaign "a referendum" on the PM.
Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted: "As the results firm up in Karnataka it is now certain that the Congress has won and the PM has lost. The BJP had made its election campaign a referendum on the PM and on the state getting his ‘ashirwaad’. That has been decisively rejected!”
With the BJP trailing behind the Congress in Karnataka, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, "We will take these results in our stride and try to reorganise the party for Lok Sabha elections next year".
As the numbers for the Congress in the Karnataka Assembly elections hover around the halfway mark with the party leading in 117 seats according to trends, it has booked two hotels, one in Bangalore and the other in Mahabalipuram, to shelter its MLAs from poaching attempts.
Sources said that the Congress has booked the Shangri La Hotel in Bangalore and plans to camp there if they breach the 130-seat mark. They added that if the party failed to do so, it plans to shift its leaders to Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu to avoid any attempts of poaching.
The Karnataka Assembly comprises 224 seats with 113 seats needed to form a majority. Congress's seat tally stands at 129, BJP is at 70, and JDS is at 23.
The Congress's success is due to its focus on local issues and avoiding getting entangled in Hindutva rhetoric, according to analysts. The party has also gained in terms of vote share, at the expense of JD(S). All party leaders are leading in their constituencies, but a number of ministers are trailing.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that "This is the victory of Janata Janardhan", referring to the people's mandate. Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar, who won from the Kanakapura seat with 70% votes, said that he had promised Sonia Gandhi and AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge that he would deliver results in the state.
The BJP had made a determined effort to win Karnataka, with the Prime Minister and Home Minister leading the campaign, but their efforts were not enough to overcome local anti-incumbency sentiment and the Congress's effective campaign.
Congress is in a pole position
The Congress is leading in over 120 seats, comfortably surpassing the halfway mark of 113 seats required to form a government in the Karnataka Assembly. This is a significant improvement for the Congress, which had won just 78 seats in the 2018 assembly elections.
The Congress's focus on local issues seems to have struck a chord with the voters. The party's campaign revolved around issues such as unemployment, inflation, and the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The party also refrained from playing the Hindutva card, unlike the BJP, which had made it a key part of its campaign.
Loss on expected lines for the BJP
The BJP's poor performance in the Karnataka Assembly elections was on the expected lines. The party had won 104 seats in the 2018 assembly elections and formed the government with the help of the JDS. However, the BJP's decision to go solo in this election seems to have backfired. The party's campaign was heavily focused on the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the achievements of the central government, which seems to have failed to resonate with the voters.
Congress gains in terms of vote share, at the expense of JD (S)
While the Congress is set to gain significantly in terms of seats, it is also gaining in terms of vote share. The party is currently leading in 39.4% of the seats, up from the 38% it had won in the 2018 assembly elections. The JDS, on the other hand, seems to be losing out, with its seat tally set to come down from 37 in 2018 to just 23 in this election.
The Karnataka Assembly election results are being closely watched as they are seen as a stepping stone to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress's strong showing in Karnataka is likely to boost the party's morale and help it in its efforts to form a united opposition against the BJP at the national level.