From Corruption to Turncoats: Key factors behind BJP's defeat in Karnataka Assembly Polls

Congress is heading towards a thumping victory in Karnataka, with BJP failing to meet its own expectations. Both the political parties intensively campaigned in the run-up to May 10 assembly polls, but BJP fell short, whereas Congress managed to reach the finish line. Several key factors favoured the Congress and played against the saffron party. 

Since the beginning of the campaigning trail, Congress played the 'anti-incumbency' card against the ruling BJP, which proved solid. Across the state, the performance of the BJP government doesn’t seem to be evoking a positive robust response. Several Congress leaders claimed that CM Bommai failed to cement an image of an able administrator in the eyes of the people. 

'40 Per Cent Sarkara' Charge 

Ahead of the Karnataka polls, the Congress party launched an anti-BJP campaign highlighting Karnataka government corruption. Congress released a poster with a QR code named 'PayCM' featuring a line portrait of CM Basavaraj Bommai. The posters were all out on the streets of Bengaluru for many months. Upon scanning the QR, the visitors were taken to a Congress website that had listed all the alleged scams carried out under the BJP regime. 

Turncoats dented BJP's chance 

While announcing the list of candidates, the BJP dependent massively on new faces, cutting down tickets of sitting legislators and heavyweights. Among many, two were former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and former deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi. Both the Lingayat heavyweights joined the Congress, where the gamble of one worked, while that of another failed. 

Shettar failed to win the Hubballi-Dharawad Central segment on the Congress ticket but played a significant role in swinging the Lingayat vote bank towards the Congress. He was one of the biggest Lingayat leaders in the BJP after BS Yediyurappa. Meanwhile, Savadi has marked a thumping victory from the Athani segment on the Congress ticket. Further, he also benefitted his party hugely in the entire Belagavi district. 

Citizens voted on local issues

Instead of national or state-level issues, the voting process was majorly driven by local issues including employment, inflation and corruption. Each region and district in Karnataka had their own local issues and the voting pattern was also largely determined by the candidate and their caste dynamics. Congress' promise to ban Bajrang Dal also played crucial role in BJP's defeat. While Congress continued campaigning with their key five poll promises, the BJP engaged itself massively in opposing the ban promise.