Politics | The takeaways from the Karnataka bypoll results

Ramakrishna Upadhya

In the byelections held for 15 seats on December 5, the people of Karnataka have given a clear mandate to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ensuring that its Chief Minister, BS Yediyurappa will remain in power for the next three-and-a-half years.

On the results, which were announced on December 9, the BJP won 12 of the 15 seats at stake, thus increasing its tally to 117 and acquiring a clear majority in the assembly. The Congress, the principal opposition party, fared poorly winning only two seats, while the Janata Dal (Secular) drew a blank.

The campaign of the Congress, led by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, to defeat and teach a lesson to the defectors, gained no traction with the voters who preferred stability over the question of ‘morality’. Soon after the results, Siddaramaiah resigned as the leader of the Congress’ legislature party, and perhaps goaded by the party high command, a few minutes later, also quit his post as the leader of the opposition. Karnataka Pradesh Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao also followed suit. The duo had managed to hold on to their posts despite a massive drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls in May, but there was no escape this time.

The JD(S), led by HD Kumaraswamy, who headed a coalition government in association with the Congress just about six months ago, suffered more humiliation as it failed to impress voters even in its Vokkaliga stronghold of old Mysuru areas. The regional party lost both KR Pete and Hunsur in the old Mysuru area which it had won last time by huge margins, casting a doubt over its future in Karnataka politics. With the party chief HD Deve Gowda nearing the end of his political career, the JD(S) may find it difficult to have its flag flying when the next assembly elections are held in 2023.

The Congress in Karnataka too faces an existential issue. Siddaramaiah has been its face and force for a decade, but with his exit from major responsibilities, it will be hard pressed to find a successor. His dictatorial style of functioning had virtually alienated every other leader in the party, and it seemed that they were waiting for him to fail this time so that his monopoly would end.

The politically-embattled DK Shivakumar is a strong alternative, but he has to clear his name in the scandals surrounding him and gain acceptance among the state leaders before being considered to lead the party in the state.

As far as the BJP is concerned, Yediyurappa has proved yet again that he is a vote catcher par excellence, who has no competition within his party. With this massive bypoll victory, he has also made the BJP's central leadership realise that after the Maharashtra fiasco it better to recognise local leaders like him to win state elections.

Ramakrishna Upadhya is a senior journalist. Views are personal.