Three-way race in K'taka

As the day of reckoning draws near for the first phase of Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, the ruling Congress in Karnataka is battling a spirited challenge thrown up by BJP aided by the perceived "Vajpayee wave" and "anti-incumbency factor" followed by JD(S).

As the day of reckoning draws near for the first phase of Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, the ruling Congress in Karnataka is battling a spirited challenge thrown up by BJP followed by JD(S) in a three-way race.

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As the saffron party, low in morale just a couple of months ago, made speedy remarkable recovery to the extent of even bidding for power to install the first BJP government, the Congress is leaving nothing to chance to halt its march.

The poll battle did begin with an edge for Congress but aided by the perceived "Vajpayee wave" and "anti-incumbency factor", BJP has grown much faster in recent months than anticipated, widening its areas of influence in northern Karnataka.

JD(S) led by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has a powerful presence in old Mysore areas and is expected to give a run for the money for Congress. But unlike BJP and JD(S), the areas of influence of Congress is more or less evenly spread, giving it an advantage to that extent over its rivals. In a broad perspective, it would thus be a predictable direct fight between the Congress and BJP for Lok Sabha and a three-cornered battle for the assembly polls.

BJP has been pinning its hopes to a large extent on the much touted "feel good factor" and the "Vajpayee wave" that it sees, to make it to the seat of power in the state that it has been desperately looking for more than a decade.

But, apart from other imponderables, Karnataka voters had had made different choices for assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the past two occasions when simultaneous polls were held.