BJP-JD(S) alliance consolidates Vokkaliga vote bank in Karnataka
Bengaluru: Much to the chagrin of the ruling Congress in Karnataka, the BJP-JD(S) alliance seems to have successfully consolidated the influential Vokkaliga vote bank in its favour in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections.
Congress leaders had expected that the alleged sex video scandal involving arrested JD-S leader Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of ex-Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, would harm the alliance’s poll prospects in the state and cause the Vokkaliga community to shift towards the grand old party.
However, despite an all-out effort by the Congress to hinder the alliance’s chances in the Mandya and Bangalore Rural LS seats — contested by Deve Gowda’s son H.D. Kumaraswamy and son-in-law C.N. Manjunath, respectively — both leaders received overwhelming support from the people.
Both registered thumping victories, each winning by a margin of more than 2.5 lakh votes. Vokkaliga votes are dominant in these two constituencies.
The shift was also evident with the BJP winning the Chikkaballapur, Mysuru-Kodagu, Udupi-Chikmagalur, and Tumkur seats where the Vokkaliga votes proved decisive.
Although the BJP swept all the seats in Karnataka in the 2019 general elections except Bangalore Rural, Mandya, and Hassan, the party was reportedly not confident about repeating the feat this time following the victory of the Congress in the Assembly elections held last year.
Deputy CM and state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar had emerged as the Vokkaliga face and shifted the community votes to the Congress, helping it win 135 seats in last year’s Assembly polls.
This time, the BJP managed to breach Shivakumar’s stronghold Bangalore Rural by ensuring the defeat of his brother D.K. Suresh at the hands of Manjunath.
In 2019, when the Congress lost almost all the LS seats in the state, Shivakumar ensured the victory of his brother from Bangalore Rural.
Despite wresting Hassan from the JD(S) after 25 years, where the voters showed the door to the sex video scandal accused and sitting JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, the Congress is concerned about the consolidation of Vokkaliga votes towards the NDA.
The BJP, which is dominantly present in north Karnataka, appears to have strengthened its base in south Karnataka as well, with the help of JD(S) in the Lok Sabha polls.