Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Dec 19: With the battle for supremacy having been concluded in both Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, BJP and Congress would be shifting their focus on Karnataka, which will need a different game plan altogether. In Karnataka, there is heartburn among second rung leaders in both the camps, with discontent against the top leaders brewing within. There are rumours of several people of eminence changing loyalties at the last moment to teach a lesson to their respective leaderships.

During the victory celebrations, BJP national president, Amit Shah, announced that the next bastion the party wants to win would be Karnataka. He made this remark during his address to the party leaders and workers at the central office of the party at New Delhi. "We cannot rest, as our next target, Karnataka, is before us. Let us register victory there too," he said.

Siddaramaiah, Yeddyurappa and Kumaraswamy

Both Congress and BJP have challenges before them in Karnataka. While congress is facing anti-incumbency factor, which generally plays a major role during elections, BJP is grappling with discontent about Yeddyurappa's leadership style. Both the parties have already launched their respective campaigns in the state. The BJP, which has not been witnessing the vigour and zeal one expects from cadres in its election rallies, the current victory is expected to breath newfound enthusiasm into them at least now. The BJP leaders have another reason to grin and show more confidence during electioneering now. So far, they were unaware whether programmes like demonetization and GST regime, which created lot of problems for the people, went down well with the people or not. Now with victory in two states at a stretch, BJP leaders are confident that they can now boldly claim these two measures to be honest efforts that will have far-reaching positive impact for the country in the long run.

Dissident activities is one thing that has been common in both the parties. It is not a secret that Yeddyurappa's style of functioning is not liked by several leaders, while Eshwarappa alone is vocal about it. Congress too now has to put in extra efforts to quell dissidence in its rank and put up united show, as there is need for it to tread carefully after its calculations at Gujarat went awry. BJP leaders have been claiming that a few of Congress top rung leaders would hop to their party soon. JD(S) too has indicated that some Congress legislators would like to join hands with it.

Congress is confident that its initiative to give recognition to Lingayat as separate religion will result in votes of Lingayats, who it is felt, have been supporting Yeddyurappa till now, getting diverted to their party. At the same time, some leaders of the party are jittery over the actual outcome of this effort. Presence of JD(S) can disturb equations in several constituencies. Moreover, it has to be seen what influence will Rahul Gandhi have on the voters, as the new chief of the Congress will take part in selection process, lead the party through the electioneering and try to retain the only major state where his party is in power, in the capacity of the president of the party.