BJP
More than any other party, the assembly polls here will be a do-or-die battle for BJP, which has been struggling hard to save its southern stronghold. Holding on to the success achieved by the saffron party here in 2008 assembly polls - a game changer for the BJP as it was its first electoral success in south of the Vindhyas - now seems to be an increasingly difficult proposition.
Since the party is largely confined to north India, losing the state will clearly shatter BJP’s dreams to expand its base beyond Karnataka in the south. Hence, Karnataka occupies a strategic place in the BJP`s political roadmap and in its bigger scheme of things to seize power at the Centre by dislodging the Congress-led UPA government.
However, in the wake of its electoral drubbing in the urban civic polls, which forced it into an introspective mood, the saffron part’s prospects are not too bright. The party is hemmed by factional feuds, infighting and mired with controversies. The party has earned a bad reputation due to poor governance and after the exit of BS Yeddyurappa - the most influential leader of the power Lingayat community- the going for the BJP is surely tough. Karnataka was once an investment-friendly state and seen as an ideal business destination but the state’s poor infrastructure and widespread corruption has prevented the big corporate houses from entering the state. The ruling party has failed miserably to effectively market the government’s achievements in the past five years. Several BJP MLAs, ministers and local leaders have deserted the BJP to join Yeddyurappa’s KJP.
BJP is strong in coastal Karnataka, Mumbai-Karnataka, Hyderabad-Karnataka but week and almost non-existent in Bangalore region, Central Karnataka and Old Mysore region. Interestingly, the assembly elections will also give the BJP an opportunity to test the appeal of Narendra Modi, who is increasingly being projected as the party`s face in 2014 and pitched against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in the race for the prime minister’s post.
Modi’s magic has worked thrice in a row in Gujarat and probably that is the reason why the Karnataka BJP is relying on him to boost its electoral prospects. A section of BJP leaders here think that an incremental, positive vote in favour of Modi will considerably cut down the anti-incumbency vote against the ruling party in Karnataka.
Though some oppose roping Modi in Karnataka, there is no disagreement over the fact that Modi`s leadership quality transcends caste and linguistic barriers. Since he is the face of good governance and progress in India, his development mantra may strike a chord with the electorate in Karnataka. The middle class support for BJP’s Hindutva ideology in the state is well known and this could be another reason for Modi to flex his muscles in Karnataka.
