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Karnataka election results 2018: Three key takeaways for the BJP
Karnataka Election Results 2018 might embolden the BJP leaders to opt for a similar course correction in Rajasthan, where the BJP lost by-elections for a Lok Sabha and an assembly seat this year.
Suspense continues over formation of government in Karnataka, with the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) announcing a post-poll alliance that takes them past the halfway mark, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains upbeat about its performance, calling it “unprecedented” and “historic”.
Leaders from the party say that its emergence as the single-largest party – comfortably ahead of the Congress and close to the magic number of 112 against a strong state leader such Siddaramaih -- has already given the BJP enough reasons to cheer ahead of the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram.
“Our victory is not going to stop. We will win all coming election and the 2019 general election for the Lok Sabha with a margin bigger than 2014,” BJP president Amit Shah told party workers on Tuesday. The BJP believes it can still form the government in the state and has already staked its claim before the governor on the grounds that it is the largest party.
The performance in Karnataka has three broad takeaways for the party:
First, it believes that the downward slide of the Congress continues, evidenced by how it finished far behind despite having the sitting chief minister Siddaramaih putting up a spirited fight. The Congress, which is the main opposition in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh – all three under BJP rule – therefore faces the daunting task of unseating the incumbent governments in these three states and emerge as the anchor of an anti-BJP front in 2019. BJP leaders say they will use the Karnataka victory to energise the party cadre.
Second, the BJP managed to overcome its internal differences and put up a united face ahead of the election. The central leadership reconciled internal differences by unambiguously clarifying that BS Yeddyurappa would be the CM face, while giving other leaders such as B Sriramulu prominence during the campaign and ensuring a respectable place for senior Karnataka figures such as Ananth Kumar and Sadananda Gowda in the central Cabinet.
The Karnataka success might embolden the BJP leaders to opt for a similar course correction in Rajasthan, where the BJP lost by-elections to a Lok Sabha and an assembly seat this year. Chief minister Vasundhara Raje faces anti-incumbency and there have been demands for a leadership change.
The BJP has not been able to find a replacement to its state unit chief Ashok Parnami and, people familiar with the developments say, Shah’s immediate task is to accomplish that job. He will have to take into account Raje’s sensitivities while ensuring that the views of her critics within the party and the Sangh are not overlooked.
Third, an early start in Karnataka helped the BJP identify its strengths and weaknesses well ahead of the election and gave it time to work on them. With Karnataka behind it, the BJP has already turned its focus to the three states. Shah held a meeting on Monday with national office-bearers with instructions on how to approach the next set of polls.
