Will hijab, Tipu Sultan or development resonate with the Karnataka voters

The Election Commission has announced the dates for the crucial assembly elections in Karnataka.

Up for grabs are 224 seats with the magic number being 113. The battle is between the ruling BJP, opposition Congress and Janata Dal (S).

In 2018, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, but failed to form the government as it fell shot of a majority. The JD(S) and Congress went on to form the government, but post a collapse, the BJP seized power.

The BJP formed the government with the help of the rebel MLAs. The current strength of the BJP in the House in 121, while the Congress has 70 and JD(S) 30. In July 2021, B S Yediyurappa resigned as chief minister and Basavaraj Bommai took over.

The fight is however a tough time, this time around. The Congress when compared to the rest of the states is strongest in Karnataka and it would be tough going for the BJP. The Congress is projecting former chief minister, Siddaramaiah as its leader. However there is a stiff fight for the top post, with D K Shivakumar, the chief of the party in Karnataka vying for the post.

During its campaign, the Congress has been highlighting the failures of the Bommai led BJP government. The Congress has promised to provide good governance and development.

It would also be interesting to see how the H D Kumaraswamy led JD(S) would perform. The party tends to do well in the Old Mysuru Region which is dominated by the Vokkaligas, a dominant caste in Karnataka. This time the JD(S) has maintained a distance from both the BJP and Congress. It has also been trying to expand its reach beyond the Mysuru region. Issues such as farmer welfare, regional development and social justice have been the top issues of the party, during its campaign.

The Karnataka elections are important as it is one of the most economically important states in India. Karnataka has witnessed a lot of political instability has been infamous for resort politics on numerous occasions. A number of persons this correspondent spoke with said that in addition to development, they would like to see political instability.

The outcome of this election would also determine if issues such as hijab or Tipu Sultan would resonate with the voters. The outcome will also determine if the Congress has managed to corner the BJP on the issue of corruption.