The Karnataka Congress has set its target of 150 seats in the 224-member assembly for which it wants to cut into as many votes as possible of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular). However, Congress insiders say the party has drawn up a fool-proof plan to curb the influence of JD(S), especially in the Old Mysore region.
The Old Mysore region has 89 assembly seats, including Bengaluru, and is dominated by Karnataka’s second largest community – the Vokkaligas — after Lingayats. The Vokkaligas has largely favoured the JDS as a party and form a critical part of the election voting pattern.
“Our strategy is to ensure that we take as many seats away from the BJP or JDS. Our target is to win 150 seats for which we have to ensure that we eat into both BJP and JDS’s vote share,” said Congress MLA Priyank Kharge to News18.
The BJP is yet to make inroads into the Old Mysore region as the electoral battle has always been between the JDS and the Congress.
So, is the Congress trying to scuttle the JDS?
“The JDS is the Congress’ competitor in the old Mysore region and so they need to deal with it. Given the role DK Shivakumar has in the Congress as the state president, the Congress must break into the Vokkaliga vote bank. This would mean undercutting the JDS,” said political analyst Sandeep Shastri.
He observes that since the last election, the JDS has hardly registered any presence and they continue to have mere small pockets of influence. Shastri says the JDS alliance with the Congress has hurt them quite badly.
“I don’t think it has impacted the Congress vote bank in the Old Mysore region, but I will not be able to say the same about the JDS. I think while they got chief ministership and the face of the government when it comes to electoral politics, the JDS have been on the slide,” Shastri added.
The Congress is seen to have gone on an aggressive mode against its former ally JDS and HD Kumaraswamy.
It is important to note that Kumaraswamy has been extremely critical of Congress, especially the current Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Siddaramaiah, who, incidentally, was in the JDS until 2005. Deve Gowda expelled Siddaramaiah alleging “anti-party activities”, and soon the latter joined the Congress in a public meeting in 2006.
During a public meeting in Lingadevara Koppalu village in Mysuru last week, Siddaramaiah decided to bare his heart on his exit from the JDS. He said he has often been accused of shifting loyalties but there was no truth in that. He said in the 2006 elections, the JD(S) and BJP made a pact and defeated the Congress.
“They again tried to join hands in 2018 with the BJP. But, this time, it won’t happen. Our Congress workers realised whom to trust and have decided to defeat BJP and JD(S). Don’t be surprised as this time too BJP and JDS are likely to make an internal pact,” the leader said at the Mysuru meeting.
Kumaraswamy was made the chief minister in the JDS-Congress coalition government after the 2018 Assembly polls. Both parties joined hands to keep the BJP away from power even though it had emerged as the single largest party with 104 members.
Taking the electoral pitch a notch higher, Kumaraswamy has challenged Siddaramaiah to form his party in the upcoming elections and win at least five seats. This was Kumaraswamy’s counter to Siddaramaiah after the Congress leader claimed that the JDS will not win even 20 seats. In 2018, the JDS won 37 seats but now has been reduced to 30 due to defections.
Kumaraswamy has kept a target of 123 seats in the upcoming elections which he thinks is possible with the success of his ‘Pancharatna Yatra’. The yatra, which Kumaraswamy embarked on, has completed 50 days and promises people reforms in five crucial sectors― health, education, employment, agriculture and housing.
“The JDS will shine brightly across the country. The target of 123 seats will be achieved and let me warn them (Congress). If they continue to speak ill of the JDS, they will only lose their existing seats,” Kumaraswamy said.
“The Pancharatna Yatra’s impact on the ground has been minimal. It may be the fans of Deve Gowda family who may be impressed, but not the people of Karnataka. My reading and our surveys show that the Congress has an edge and we are confident of a win,” Kharge added.
Siddaramaiah has accused the JDS of being responsible for aiding the rise of the BJP in the state. Stating that the regional party lacked vision and commitment, the former Congress CM also said the JDS will align with any party that is likely to form the government.
“They have never been in power through coalitions and not been able to do so on their own. They have only piggybacked on another winning party, but this time they will be taught a lesson by the people,” Siddaramaiah said.
The upcoming election will be a crucial test for the BJP and Congress, which is trying to climb to power on its own, and a do-or-die one for the JDS.
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