The Right view: Yogi vs Rahul and their strike rate in Karnataka

Both Rahul Gandhi and Yogi Adityanath campaigned extensively in the state of Karnataka for the assembly elections. An story that appeared in the Organiser speaks about the strike rate of both Rahul and Yogi Adityanath.

As the star campaigner for the Congress, Rahul Gandhi held 32 rallies in the state and the party lost in 17 of these constituencies and this is a strike rate of about 53 per cent the cover story said. It also says that in certain areas such as Karwar, Ankola, Kumta in Uttara Kannada, the Congress lost despite the party leader campaigning here.

The story further states that Yogi Adityanath campaigned at 35 places in the state and the BJP won in 23 of those constituencies.

In an editorial in the Organiser and the Panchjanya, it is stated that the Congress was no longer a force to reckon with. Rahul Gandhi has agreed to support Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy to maintain the significance of the party, the editorial said.

On the alliance, the editorial states that in the long run this realignment with the Congress can create an existential crisis for the sub-regional parties. The JD(S) without any clear strategy or agenda, its candidates lost deposit at more than 100 seats. Most of the seats were won in the Old Mysore region that too against the Congress. Now joining hands with the Congress will further shrink the base for the family run party, the editorial argued.

The editorial further says that in a democracy, numbers are important and every party tries its best to stitch together a majority both in the post and pre election scenarios. However mandate is not only about number. It sends a deep rooted message to all the political parties and to the country as a whole. Although the verdict in Karnataka appears to be scattered, it provides clear lessons to all the player involved, the editorial states.

The high-decibel campaign for the state polls was reduced y the Congress to a divisive agenda. The outcome clearly negated the agenda and gave a verdict for integration. It is for this reason that the people voted on "governance" issues and, as a result, most of the incumbent ministers from the Congress government lost their seats.

The BJP on the other hand, gave a spectacular performance on the basis of a development agenda and able leadership. The editorial asserted that the "chemistry of Modi magic" and the arithmetic cobbled together by BJP president Amit Shah on the ground proved to be the biggest asset for the party.