Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, May 19: Within the BJP, introspection about the reasons behind the failure of the party to gain absolute majority in the state assembly is being made. Party circles are coming up with theories, with some feeling that there was need for the party to show better performance in Old Mysuru area including the city. They feel that this could have been achieved if the party, instead of falling to politics of compromise, sought to field candidates with capacity to draw more voters or by attracting more influential leaders from other parties into it before the polls.

BJP high command, it is learnt, is dismayed at the fact that even after getting 104 seats in Karnataka, other parties with lesser legislators have been able to stake claim to form the government. In spite of being the biggest party in the state assembly, it is facing the risk of having to sacrifice the chance to rule the state.

National president of the party, Amit Shah, is said to have got feedback that there were opportunities in Old Mysuru region for the party to better its performance, and that the party leaders had let go of several opportunities which were before them without properly and methodically exploring them. After the result was out, Shah reportedly shared his feeling of agony and disgruntlement with the state leaders.

Shah is angry that the party is facing a situation in which the leadership is compelled to entice MLAs from other parties into the party fold and keep them away from the trust vote exercise. Shah feels that in spite of full support extended by the central leadership and Prime Minister, the state leaders failed to achieve the target by giving full thrust to the party's chances. In some constituencies, BJP candidates were defeated with slender margins.

Shah is said to be feeling that complacency on the part of the state leaders, who lost themselves in the feeling of comfort that the party will get absolute majority during the early indications on counting day has been costing the party dearly now. Noting that during BBMP election in the past too, the party leaders had let go of the chance to tie up with others and take control of the administration, he thinks that the leadership has not learnt a lesson from that experience. He feels that the lackadaisical approach on the part of party leadership provided a chance for JD(S) and Congress to forge an alliance.

Going by the success of Preetham Gowda of the party in Hassan, which was traditionally a stronghold of JD(S) and Congress, the central leadership feels that BJP's failure to get even a single seat in districts like Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Mandya, Bengaluru rural and Ramanagara speaks volumes about lack of planning and efforts on the part of the state leadership. This feeling haunts the party leaders at New Delhi particularly because the party had representatives in Kolar and Bengaluru rural districts in the past and retaining these seats would have benefitted the party at this moment of crisis.

In Bengaluru, the party had hoped to corner 18 seats but got only 11 seats. Here, the party's national leaders feel, with proper strategy before the poll, the party could have bagged five to six more seats. Even taking care to select better candidates would have improved the performance of the party by a few seats, it is felt.

Shah feels that the party, which could better its tally in north Karnataka and coastal Karnataka, could have surely done better in Old Mysuru region where people from all castes and communities live. He is disturbed by the fact that the state leaders did not do enough even though they were given full liberty in selection of candidates