BJP wrests Karnataka from Congress

Sachchidanand Jha

Patna : Proving all pollsters wrong, the BJP on May 15, 2018, wrested Karnataka from ruling Congress party raising a question mark over the leadership role of AICC President Rahul Gandhi and his natural acceptance among the other opposition parties particularly in the context of 2019 Lok Sabha poll. Karnataka will be the 21st BJP ruled state in the country. While Congress is suffering defeat in one state after another under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the Narendra Modi- Amit Shah duo is doing wonders for the BJP on the strength of their development agenda and election strategy including booth management.

Although the results of the Karnataka Assembly polls are yet to be declared officially, the BJP was leading in 113 of the 222 seats the polls to which were held on May 12, 2018. The elections to two other seats will be held later. Congress was leading on 63 seats while JD(Secular) was leading on 39 seats.

There is absolutely no two opinion that Rahul Gandhi has been trying very hard to emerge as an alternative to PM Narendra Modi but the majority of voters do no appear to take him seriously. Rahul has tried but failed so far. He has failed to motivate the party workers and lacks an alternate agenda vis-a-vis the BJP. BJP president Amit Shah, on the other hand, spent 34 days in Karnataka criss-crossing the state meeting voters in villages and inspiring party workers.

PM Narendra Modi campaigned in the state in the middle of electioneering and electrified the poll atmosphere immediately by his oratory. His observation that Rahul Gandhi can’t speak for 15 minutes without looking into the notes was widely acknowledged by the voters. That apart, the distribution of free LPG connection to around 30 lakh voters in the state besides rural electrification and toilet construction schemes convinced the voters that Modi was working for the welfare of poor.