Karnataka elections: Mallikarjun Kharge raises local link, BJP Sonia Gandhi's 'sovereignty' remark

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, May 8

The campaigning for the high-stakes May 10 Karnataka election ended on Monday with the ruling BJP banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal appeal to retain power in the southern state and opposition Congress hoping for the 38-year-old anti-incumbency trend to hold. In a last-minute push to sway voter choices, the BJP petitioned the Election Commission to “derecognise the Congress” for former party president Sonia Gandhi’s remarks on “protection of Karnataka’s sovereignty” and sought action against her for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Crucial contest

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BJP: Must-win ahead of LS poll. Of 128 LS seats in 5 South states, BJP holds just 29 (25 are in Karnataka)

Cong: Needs to win to reclaim pole position in the Opposition camp

JD(S): Hopes to be kingmaker. Kumaraswamy has thrice been CM, with BJP or Cong help

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge played the emotional card while speaking on his home turf Kalburgi today. Citing alleged threats to his life — an allegation earlier made by the Congress — Kharge, 81, sought votes telling locals, “You should take pride that Karnataka bhoomi putra has become AICC president.”

PM Modi pulled all stops leading the party’s narratives on a range of issues from development, double-engine government, personal attacks on him and Congress targeting Bajrang Dal to Sonia Gandhi’s Saturday remarks on safeguarding Karnataka’s sovereignty.

The PM addressed 22 rallies and held six roadshows over his weeklong campaign. Saffron party’s national leaders pitched in with 206 rallies and 90 roadshows while state leaders held around 230 public meetings and 50 roadshows.

In contrast, the Congress held around 100 rallies and 33 roadshows by national and state leaders and worked consciously to keep the focus on local issues and state leaders — a strategy PM Modi repeatedly challenged by citing India’s “growing global stature”.

Amid the unprecedented clash of narratives and exchange of personal barbs during the campaign period, Karnataka’s third force JD(S) too canvassed hard in old Mysuru’s Vokkaliga belt, a segment party patriarch and former PM HD Deve Gowda has carefully cultivated.

The JD(S) would again hope to be in a kingmaker’s position given Karnataka’s recent history of fractured mandates. The JD(S) has never formed a government on its own in Karnataka. While HD Kumaraswamy has been CM thrice, he has always been so with the support of the BJP or the Congress.