The Elections Are Over: What Is At Stake For All Political Parties In Karnataka

Karnataka has voted and the voter percentage is at around 69 per cent. There is a lot at stake for all the parties- BJP, Congress and JD(S).

For the Congress there is a lot at stake. For the Congress there is plenty at stake as it has suffered loses galore at the hands of the BJP. The BJP on the other hand would be hoping to win the elections. If the party suffers a defeat, it would provide a huge boost for the Congress ahead of the 2024 elections. The Congress would also get a boost in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where elections are due this year.

The BJP would keep a close watch on the fact that the state has not voted a party back to power in the past 30 years. The Congress would be hoping to ride on the anti-incumbency factor. The Congress has managed to retain power on two occasions-2004 and 2013. However in 2004 the Congress managed to hold on to power with the help of the JD(S). The government however remained in power only for two years, before the JD(S) broke away and formed the government with the BJP. After the JD(S) refused to honour its promise of transferring power to the BJP, elections were held in 2008. The BJP rode on a sympathy wave and won the elections.It was however short by 5 seats to form the government, but managed to do so with the help of the independents.

The 2013 elections were clearly in the favour of the Congress. While the Congress was clearly ahead, the fact that remains is that the BJP was a broken house, with B S Yediyurappa breaking away and forming the KJP.

This time around for the BJP it is important to retain power. It is the only state in South India, where the saffron party is in power. Karnataka has been the gateway to the South for the BJP as it looks to face the elections in Telangana, where it fancies a chance.

For the JD(S) this is an important election. Between 2008 and 2018 it has been out of power. Briefly, post the 2018 elections the JD(S) was in power, but it lost power a year later. Many political analysts are saying that this could be a matter of survival for the JD(S). The analyst also say that if the JD(S) remains out of power in case it does not manage to play kingmaker, then the party would be heading for a decline.