ELECTIONS IN KARNATAKA: CONGRESS HAS BENEFITED FROM A POLITICAL CUSHION AWAY FROM THE HINDI HEARTLAND. WHAT AWAITS US THIS TIME?

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, is pictured in a file photo with Siddaramaiah, the former chief minister of Karnataka, DK Shivakumar, and others during the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra in the Chamarajanagar district. (Photo Credit: PTI)

In her memoir, My lifestyles in Indian Politics (penned via veteran journalist Rasheed Kidwai), former Union minister and Congress chief Mohsina Kidwai gives a deep-dive account of Indira Gandhi’s return to power after the 1977 rout publish Emergency. to check her birthday celebration’s popularity within the Hindi heartland, the former PM fielded Kidwai from Azamgarh in a Lok Sabha bypoll in 1978. 

Mrs Gandhi, but, chose a miles more secure seat down south for herself to return to Parliament the identical yr — Chikmagalur in Karnataka. With the then leader minister Devraj americavia her aspect, she defeated Janata candidate Veerendra Patil by way of extra than 70,000 votes. 

nearly two many years later, whilst her daughter-in-regulation Sonia Gandhi sought to go into Parliament with the aid of contesting an instantaneous election, she determined to contest from  seats — the birthday party pocket borough in Amethi and Bellary in Karnataka. 

The warfare royale among ‘videshi-bahu’ Sonia Gandhi and BJP leader and ‘swadeshi-beti’ Sushma Swaraj stays one of the most keenly contested and watched electoral contests in publish-independent India. Congress gained Bellary once more by means of more than 50,000 votes, even though Sonia later relinquished this seat and retained Amethi, as an alternative. 

That the Congress’ first own family has sought safety in Karnataka inside the face of stiff electoral demanding situations thrown at them indicates a certain demographic and political cushion that the grand vintage celebration enjoys within the state. 

unlike in the Hindi heartland nation of UP, in which the Congress persisted to test with upper caste management till the Mandal wave swept the birthday celebration away in 1990, the Congress changed into able to reach out to a massive phase of subaltern middleman caste businesses within the south tons in advance.

Devraj united states of americawas perhaps the primary to gauge the numerical electricity and aspirations of these communities to enforce sub-department on Backward magnificence reservations. His political moves angered the Lingayats, who moved the ideally suited courtroom. however the resulting counter-polarisation helped him win every other term in office.

no longer just in Karnataka, Congress has managed to remain applicable in states across the usa wherein it may develop management among numerically dominant Backward classes.

no matter Sharad Pawar’s riot, the Congress retained electricity in Maharashtra for a long time under the management of sturdy Maratha leaders like Vilasrao Deshmukh. In Rajasthan, under Ashok Gehlot, the party has managed to win three out of the ultimate five elections. In Chhattisgarh, the party’s success remains intrinsically linked to the inroads made amongst different Backward lessons — particularly Kurmis and Sahus — in the relevant rice bowl. 

Congress’ Geographic And Demographic energy In Karnataka

as it prepares for a important warfare to regain energy in Karnataka this yr, the Congress’ biggest strength is the celebration’s pan-country presence — each geographic and demographic.

at the same time as the JD(S) relies closely on its performance within the antique Mysuru location and Vokkaliga assist base, the BJP alternatively has had to do a great balancing act in retaining the middle-Lingayat constituency and different communities in good humour. chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s closing-minute quota rejig targets to are looking for past what is already there in his birthday party’s kitty.

The Congress in Karnataka has not most effective a state-huge presence, however also a string of leaders throughout caste and community traces. Its state unit is led via a Vokkaliga — DK Shivakumar. Its national president Malikarjun Kharge is a 'proper' Dalit from Hyderabad Karnataka. different prominent leaders from the network encompass former deputy CM G Parameshwara. From the ‘Left’ Dalit, former Union minister k Muniappa stays a dominant face. To reach out to the Lingayats, the Congress has been capable of task MB Patil as the leader of its marketing campaign committee for the 2023 meeting polls.

In Karnataka, Dalits from numerically smaller sub-castes are labelled as the “right hand”, while the bigger sub-castes are known as “Left hand”.

The BJP has, of overdue, sought to disrupt the Congress’ bandwagon by means of creating a robust pitch by means of promoting three ‘Left’ Dalit leaders — Union minister A Narayanaswamy, Water sources Minister Govind Karjol, and MP Ramesh Jigajinagi.

In Karnataka, the Congress’ capacity to mobilise other backward communities out of doors the birthday celebration-particular vote financial institution might be important to its potentialities inside the 2023 meeting polls.

Former celebration supervisor Ahmed Patel’s protracted negotiations in weaning away former CM Siddaramaiah — who belongs to the OBC Kurba network with an 8 percent populace — from the JD(S) to the Congress changed into the crucial difference that led the party to electricity 10 years again.

The 2023 polls are once more a test of Siddaramaiah’s potential to stitch together a bigger AHINDA coalition of intermediary agrarian communities, Backward instructions, Dalits, and minorities.