A head-to-head battle in Karnataka

With just a day to go for Karnataka’s first phase assembly election in 89 constituencies, the vocal fray between the two chief political adversaries Congress and BJP has been reached at the peak leaving no stone unturned to attack each other.

Both the parties have jumped into the poll ground with new announcements, promises making with the votaries. The two leading contenders in the state have come out in front of the electorates of the state with different approach and of course the blame game at the core of their campaign for the underdevelopment of the state.

While the BJP has many ammunitions to bombarding its main adversary Congress ranging from price rise and higher rate of inflation, and the newly issue that it got just a day ago when the Supreme Court slammed the government for making amendment in AIIMS Act and sacking its Director P Venugopal. The BJP may now use this weapon to assault Congress for abusing power by its ministers for resorting personal rivalry.

Besides, the saffron party is also accusing its principal opponent of resorting to cheap tricks to snatch power in the southern state by any filthy means. It is being reported from the sources that Congress has concluded underhand deal with the Samajwadi party in the state and supporting its leader S Bangarappa as chief ministerial candidate.

The BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said the stability, ability of our leader; good governance and development are the four major electoral planks of our party, which would fetch power for our party.

On the other hand, the Congress in order to wooing voters has been promising them to give the IT capital a new beginning and assist it in regaining its global image by making available required infrastructure and guarantees the welfare of the people suffered immensely during the JD(S)-BJP coalition government. The Congress in its campaign is accusing the former coalition government for losing the reputation of the state and the city across the country.

Former Karnataka chief minister M Veerappa Moily of Congress party attacked the former BJP-JD(S) alliance for the political opportunism practiced by them had provided the people the clarity as to which party to vote into power during the three-phased Assembly elections.

While BJP is going under pressure to continue its winning streak in state elections and will try not only to regain its constituencies but also to spread its tentacles to other seats, for the Congress it will be a testing time as it cannot blame BJP or JD(S) for the high cost of essential commodities pulses, vegetables, fruits etc since the state is passing through central rule. BJP will try its best to encircle Congress on the issue of price rise.

However, the appeal of Congress pro-rural push which reflects in the form of farmer’s lone waiver in its union budget will be a key element of its campaign to wooing electorates as the state has a large agricultural population.

The third largest party Janta Dal (S) has to play once again its role of kingmaker. Whether BJP or Congress emerges the largest party out of this election, in lack of complete majority, it would have to resort to JD (S) for making the government.

In 2004, the Congress had formed coalition government with JD (S), which betrayed the Congress in the mid-way and withdrew support from the government followed by making fresh alliance of the JD(S) with the BJP. But again over the power sharing matter, the JD (S) breached the BJP resulted into fall of the government followed by President’s Rule in the state. The State has been going under President's rule since November 2007.

Casting off the betrayal label will be a tough for the H D Kumaraswamy led- JD (S) and the party is well aware of its degrading position among voters, but hoping to come back into power for his performance during his 20-month rule.

The assembly election will prove acid test for the JD (S) leader and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda whether he again holds the state’s rule in his or his son Kumaraswamy’s hand or sandwiched between the two national parties or again play the role of kingmaker.

The three-phase poll schedule commencing from May 10 and culminating on May 22 has acquired the status of first state to go for polls under the newly delimitated constituencies.