The Hindu : National : “Popular support for BJP growing in Karnataka”

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“Popular support for BJP growing in Karnataka”

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party believes that it is poised to win an absolute majority in the coming Assembly elections in Karnataka. Senior party leaders here are confident of forming the first government of its own in a Southern State on the assumption that while the Congress is “a divided house,” the Janata Dal (Secular) is considered as a “betrayer” for reneging on the power–sharing agreement with the party.

Party general secretary and senior leader from Karnataka, H. N. Ananth Kumar, in an informal chat with reporters here on Thursday, noted that the popular support for the party had been steadily growing in Karnataka over the past two decades.

“In 1989, the party had a vote share of only 2.6 per cent in the Lok Sabha elections and 4.14 per cent in the Assembly elections. It jumped to 17 per cent in the 1994 Assembly elections and 29 per cent in the 1996 Parliamentary elections. Ever since, there has been no looking back. In the last election, in 2004, the party had a vote share of 32 per cent in the polls for the Lok Sabha and 28 per cent in the Assembly elections.”

The party, he said, was confident of improving its record in the coming elections, particularly on the back of the pro-poor budget presented by its leader, B. S. Yeddyurappa during the BJP-JD (S) regime.

The budget was historical as it reduced the interest rate on loans for farmers, weavers and fishermen to four per cent and also waived off loans up to Rs. 25,000. Loans amounting to a total of Rs. 2,000 crore were waived off.

The decision of the Samajwadi Party to join hands with JD (S) and that of the Bahujan Samaj Party led by P. G. R. Sindhya, former confidante of Mr. Gowda, in Karnataka to contest in all the seats, he said, would also favour BJP as it would cut into the votes of the Congress.

In addition, the movement of several JD (S) leaders towards BJP would strengthen the party. The recent return of the Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister, S. M. Krishna, to active politics would also be detrimental to Congress as it was during his regime that the State faced several problems including the abduction of film actor Rajkumar by forest brigand Veerappan, he said.

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