Regional parties yet to come to political reckoning

Unlike the success stories of DMK, AIADMK and Telugu Desam, no regional party has been able to corner glory in Karnataka so far.

Unlike the success stories of DMK, AIADMK and Telugu Desam, no regional party has been able to corner glory in Karnataka so far ever since 1978 when the acclaimed backward classes leader and former Chief Minister late D Devaraj Urs made an attempt floating an outfit of his own.

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While DMK and AIADMK have been ruling Tamil Nadu for more than two decades, nullifying the dominance of national political parties, the Telugu Desam, floated by Telugu icon N T Rama Rao in late 80s has scripted another success story of regional party in Andhra Pradesh.

But in Karnataka, for varied political reasons, the people have not accepted regional parties.

Urs, the longest ever Chief Minister to rule the state, could not win the support of people under the banner of his regional party-- Karnataka Kranthi Ranga-- in 1978 after he severed links with Congress.

However, former Karnataka Chief Minister S Bangarappa, now in BJP, met with success in his effort to revive Kranthi Ranga which won 18 seats in the 1983 assembly polls.

Bangarappa, in an apparent attempt of challenge the Congress, floated Karnataka Congress Party on the eve of 1994 assembly polls, but could win only ten seats after lot of hype and hoopla.