BUSINESS
Caste Census: Kharge’s outburst against Shivakumar reveals deep divide in Congress
Despite Congress high command’s unstinted backing for a nationwide caste census, the party’s own exercise in Karnataka has been kept under wraps for a long time for fear of backlash from dominant groups like Lingayats and Vokkaligas. Kharge’s criticism of DK Shivakumar mirrors this divide in the party and society
BUSINESS
The Karnataka assembly poll defeat is forcing BJP, JD(S) into a risky alliance
The electoral verdict has triggered an existential crisis for JD(S) and a leadership crisis in the BJP. Congress had tied up with JD(S) for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and was routed. Now BJP isn’t confident heading into the 2024 polls and is hoping the votes JD(S) brings in can help preserve its 26 seat tally of 2019
BUSINESS
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Has a Problem: Budgeting for Congress’s lavish poll sops
Having swayed voters with freebie promises, Siddaramaiah and Congress stare at a narrow fiscal leeway to pay for the generous handouts. It mustn’t be forgotten that such welfare extravaganzas can only be financed by cutting corners elsewhere. Prepare for poorer quality public schools, healthcare and roads
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
From humble roots to power, anti-Congress to party’s popular face, Siddaramaiah reaffirms politics as the art of the possible
For someone who had a near miss with formal education, Siddaramaiah has come a long way, changing his political colours, demonstrating wizardry with budget finances, but never losing the common touch
INDIA
Karnataka Elections: Congress has won the state but many pressing governance challenges await it
Karnataka Election: The state's economy is excessively centred on Bengaluru and IT and industry and backward regions have been neglected. Bengaluru needs a big infrastructure upgrade. A focus on climate change and improving school education is long overdue. A packed agenda awaits the next government
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Karnataka Election Results: Congress got its pre-match strategies right, BJP misread the pitch
From exposing the shortcomings of the BJP government, especially on corruption, to presenting a united front Congress and showering the electorate with welfare goodies, Congress was on the ball. BJP, in contrast, appeared completely disconnected raising issues that cut no ice with voters
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections 2023: With most exit polls pointing to a cliffhanger contest, parties face a tense wait to May 13
Karnataka Elections 2023: Both the voters and pollsters have spoken. The pollsters have been heard. The voter’s turn will come on May 13. Karnataka’s history of close contests since 2004 is slated to repeat this time too with the exit polls diverging: some predicting a narrow victory for Congress, others that it will be single largest party, and a few giving the edge to BJP
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections: With no wave or an issue to swing it, parties repose faith in leaders and manifestos
Karnataka Elections 2023: Campaigning gets over today in what has been a hard fought election where no side could earn a decisive advantage over the other. Will BJP’s tactic of relying on its central leadership or Congress’s dependence on its state leadership make the difference?
POLITICS
It’s raining quota promises in Karnataka: Congress meets BJP’s SC-ST-Lingayat-Vokkaliga outreach by lifting quota cap to 75%
Psyched by BJP’s increased quotas for SCs, STs, Lingayats and Vokkaligas, Siddaramaiah promises a 75% quota ceiling, implying a slightly bigger share for every section. Sadly, this more the merrier approach neglects bettering of government schools that can offer weaker sections better worldly prospects
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections: CM aspirants aplenty but will a Dalit or woman ever get to head the state?
Karnataka Elections 2023: From Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and Parameshwara in Congress to Bommai, Bellad, Karandlaje, Yatnal, et al in BJP and Kumaraswamy in JD(S), a number of leaders are aspiring for the Chief Minister’s chair. But will any party seize the opportunity to foreground social justice when it makes a CM choice?
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections: Party-hoppers prove that power is the only constant, ideologies can be traded overnight
Karnataka Elections 2023: At least five former Karnataka CMs have changed parties and ideological colours to suit their political interests. Spare a thought for voters and party workers who trusted their rhetoric for countless elections
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections: For the turbulent Jarkiholi family at the centre of Belagavi’s politics, there are grudges to settle this time
Karnataka Elections 2023: It is not often that five brothers make headway in politics. For the Jarkiholi brothers of Belagavi, originally sugar barons, and especially Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was instrumental in the fall of the HD Kumaraswamy government in 2019, at stake is their dominance of the district
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections: For criminals craving respectability, transition to politics is quite a natural progression
Karnataka Elections 2023: Politicians use criminals for their dirty work and are caught on the wrong foot when the latter start revealing political ambitions and demand tickets to contest elections. A few instances of nexus with criminals has embarrassed the incumbent BJP government in Karnataka
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections: Politicians may or may not fear voters but Kannada film stars certainly fear their fans
Karnataka Elections 2023: Popular actor Kichcha Sudeepa cut a sorry figure trying to explain his decision to campaign for BJP. In stark contrast, the iconic Rajkumar was extremely conscious of his fans’ conflicting political loyalties and devoted himself to the apolitical, unifying slogan of Kannada primacy
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Karnataka Elections: How dynastic politics killed a promising regional party
Karnataka Elections 2023: HD Deve Gowda purged every socialist leader of stature from Ramakrishna Hegde to Siddaramaiah, reducing the once formidable Janata politics in the state to a family enterprise. But even dynastic politics appears to have run its course with JD(S)’s first family at war with itself
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Karnataka elections: How dynastic politics killed a promising regional party
Karnataka election 2023: HD Kumaraswamy’s stiff opposition to HD Revanna’s wife, Bhavani Revanna, being granted a ticket has pitted former PM HD Deve Gowda’s two sons against each other. The party, struggling to stay relevant as the third force in Karnataka politics, faces an uncertain future
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Karnataka elections: Farm distress, debt were emotive issues in 2018 election. What will it be now?
Karnataka election updates: While core areas like education and healthcare are getting the short shrift as usual, agriculture loan waiver, one of the main planks of all political parties during every election, is surprisingly missing this time
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Karnataka elections: Congress leaders have a war to fight among themselves before the battle with BJP
Karnataka election updates: Infighting is wrecking Congress’s chances. Bigwigs Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar are jostling for the CM post without waiting for voters’ mandate. Congress’s campaign is missing cohesiveness and strategy
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Karnataka Elections 2023: Who after Yediyurappa? The million-dollar question BJP has no answers to
Karnataka election news: All the deputy CMs BJP appointed since 2008, in the hope that they would become leaders to reckon with, have disappointed. Amid this lack of political imagination and ambition, can Shobha Karandlaje, who has survived many political downturns, make an impact?
POLITICS
Karnataka Elections 2023: Corruption is state BJP’s Achilles heel and the party shot itself in the foot
Corruption allegations have stalked the BJP government in Karnataka since 2019 and the party hasn’t quite succeeded in changing this narrative. BJP’s only solace is the magnanimity of the opposition Congress and JD(S), both failing to up the ante despite several scandals
POLITICS
Karnataka Polls 2018: Cows, farms and women's welfare — No big bang, but BJP manifesto has something for all
The manifesto might be lacking in the “wow factor” and may at times seem very similar to the Congress document released last week, but it has something for everybody
POLITICS
In Karnataka elections, Congress veteran Kharge faces dynasty problems of his own
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun M Kharge, who has not tasted a single electoral defeat, has won 11 consecutive elections since 1972.
