The BJP-JD(S) alliance appears to have worked fairly well in the Vokkaliga-dominated regions of Old Mysore region of Karnataka with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates notching up victories in most of the Lok Sabha constituencies of southern Karnataka.
Barring Chamarajanagar (Reserved) and Hassan Lok Sabha constituencies, where the Congress candidates have won, the alliance partners have virtually swept the Old Mysore region scripting victories in nine constituencies in the belt including Mysuru, Mandya, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar (Reserved), Chikkaballapur, and Tumkur, besides the three in Bengaluru city.
Significantly, the JD(S), which had lost much ground to the Congress during the Assembly elections of 2023, has managed to win in two constituencies – Mandya and Kolar - out of the three constituencies it contested under a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP.
The reversal
Bengaluru Rural, which withstood the Modi wave and gave Congress party its only victory in the State during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, has also fallen into the NDA lap this time with noted cardiologist C.N. Manjunath of the BJP defeating sitting Congress MP D.K. Suresh, who is also the younger brother of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
The victory of NDA candidates in most parts of southern Karnataka assumes significance as the region was considered to be BJP’s weakest electoral link in the State seen as its “gateway” to south India. The outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls has proved that the alliance between BJP and JD (S) was a successful experiment, unlike the “failed” tie-up between secular parties and traditional rivals Congress and JD(S) during the 2019 elections.
The BJP and JD(S) came together after the emphatic victory by the Congress party in the 2023 Assembly elections in the State. While the BJP banked on the support of JD (S) to gain ground in the Vokkaliga-dominated old Mysore region, the regional party, which had been reduced to just 19 seats in the last assembly polls in the State, is looking to piggyback on the saffron party and gain representation in the government at the Centre if NDA returned to power.
The start of the campaign for Lok Sabha elections saw former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy describe JD(S) and BJP as “natural allies”. For, in most parts of Old Mysore region, the Congress and JD(S) compete with each other. Except for parts of Hassan, where BJP is pitted against JD(S), the “natural allies” complement each other against their main rival Congress in most parts of Old Mysore region.
According to political observers, the support base of JD (S) including a major chunk of Vokkaliga voters had backed the NDA candidates in the old Mysore region.
Two victories of Congress
The Congress, however, has managed to wrest Chamarajanagar and defeat the JD (S) in its stronghold Hassan. While JD(S) is not a major political force in Chamarajanagar, which was represented by former Minister V. Srinivas Prasad of the BJP, who passed away recently, Hassan was the only Lok Sabha constituency won by the JD(S) during the 2019 elections and represented by Mr. Prajwal Revanna, who is currently in the custody of Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sexual abuse charges against him.
The Congress party’s poor performance in Old Mysore region is expected to not only push the ruling party into an introspective mood, but also cast a shadow on the leadership of the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Mr Shivakumar. The victory of Congress party in Chamarajanagar, however, could prove to be a saving grace for Mr Siddaramaiah as his native Siddaramanahundi and Varuna, the constituency he represents in the Legislative Assembly, are part of this Lok Sabha segment.
