Political scene heats up in Karnataka as parties try to make inroads into one another’s turf

The entry of AAP and NCP may further intensify the jostling for space

Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah interacting with Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai during a meeting with floor leaders in Bengaluru in March 2022.

While public attention is focused on a slew of incidents that have created communal tension in Karnataka, the three major political parties are making efforts to make a foray into one another’s territories as part of preparations for the Assembly elections scheduled in early 2023.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is keen to change the trend of no party winning polls successively for two terms in Karnataka after 1985. The party is trying to emulate Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who managed to change a similar trend in that State by retaining power.

The ruling party has begun the exercise of assessing the situation in each Assembly constituency with prominent leaders touring the State. Its leaders point out that the BJP has to make inroads into areas of other parties to tilt the political balance in its favour.

The opposition Congress, meanwhile, is reportedly trying to woo some sitting MLAs besides leaders from the Janata Dal (S). This has angered the JD(S) which is targeting top leaders of the Congress — KPCC president D. K. Shivakumar and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah.

There is an interesting criss-cross of political strategies at play. For instance, the JD (S) is embarking on ‘Janata Jaladhaare’, a campaign to symbolically express the party’s commitment to completing irrigation schemes in a time-bound manner if voted to power. This is being seen as an effort to counter the padayatra taken up by the Congress from Mekedatu to Bengaluru to demand early commencement of the balancing reservoir project.

The jostling for political space is bound to become more intense, especially with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) getting ready to test the political waters in Karnataka.

Political leaders cutting across party affiliations admit that it is such competition for political space and context that is making them to look at all issues from a political angle. Interestingly, all the three major political parties seem to be believe that ‘it is now or never’ as the stakes are high for all the parties as well as their leaders.

On its part, the principal opposition Congress has alleged that the ongoing episode marked by frequent incidents or statements that have the potential to disturb communal harmony is part of efforts to polarise society with an eye on the polls. But the BJP has denied the charge and, in fact, launched a counter attack accusing the Congress of creating a platform for communal disturbances.

Congress leaders have been targeting the BJP over the alleged demand of 40% commission in government projects by some ministers, as claimed by a few contractors. It managed to bring pressure on the government to drop senior minister K. S. Eshwarappa, who had been accused by a contractor of demanding 40% commission. The contractor, Santosh Patil, ended his life in Udupi.