Karnataka state is going to face the assembly elections shortly in the month of May, 2008, in three phases. The main contesting parties in the fray are Congress I, BJP and Janata Dal (S).
On the eve of elections it would be interesting to analyze the election strategies, their prospects etc, of each party separately before expecting the final outcome and verdict of the people, who are the ultimate bosses in a democracy.
As far as Congress I is concerned, it is making frantic attempts to recapture power in the state so that it will create a congenial atmosphere in the parliament elections in the year 2009.Mr.S.M.Krishna,the erstwhile Maharashtra Governor, by resigning his Governor ship has come to Karnataka at the instance of the Congress I high command, to lead Congress I in the assembly elections. Congress I is contesting the election on its own without forging any alliance with any other party in Karnataka. To win the elections at any cost, Congress I has announced and promised a series of populist schemes to implement if the party is voted to power. Introduction of rice at a cheaper price of Rs 2/- per kilo, waiver of farmer loans, distribution of free color TVs etc, are some of the populist schemes announced by the Congress I to garner the votes of the people. Though they have not forged any alliance with the Janata Dal (S), Congress I has not ruled out any alliance with them to form a government, after the assembly election is over.
BJP, the single largest party in the last assembly elections, hopes to secure a majority of seats in the assembly election and form a government on its own, under the leadership of Yeddiyurappa. The BJP leadership at the state has already decided and shortly release the first list of candidates who are contesting the assembly elections. BJP has not allied with any party to contest the election. The BJP has already started its star-studded campaign in the state and in the days to come, charismatic personalities like L.K.Advani, Sushma Swaraj,Narendra Modi and others have proposed to campaign before the elections The sympathy factor that it was betrayed by Janata Dal (S), may work out in its favour. .Lingayats a majority community, from which Yeddiyurappa is hailing is a strong factor in favour of BJP Above all the delimitation of constituencies by 28 in Bangaluru and some 8 seats in the outskirts of Bangaluru may also work out in favour of BJP, which is primarily labeled as a urban oriented party. BJP is confident of securing the majority and forming a government on its own in Karnataka.
Janata Dal (S),though has ruled for over a period of 20 months most recently, it has not any remarkable achievement to its credit. On the other hand,it is being discredited since it has betrayed BJP by not supporting it to continue in power, when Yeddiyurappa was the Chief Minister of Karnataka for a brief period of one week.But the party has the label that it is secular and an experienced leader and former Prime Minister of India Mr.H.D.Deva Gowda as its party president.The people of Gowda caste are also significant in number to count upon.
Apart from the usual campaign undertaken by each party, last minute gimmicks, stunts etc played by each party, just before the elections, to sway the people’s opinion in their favour and secure their votes, will have its own impact in the assembly elections in Karnataka !