Karnataka Election Result: Modi’s slogan… Congress’s implementation and ‘revolution’ happened in Karnataka

Karnataka elections have maintained their 38 year old mood. The mood in which there is a change of power every five years continuously for 38 years. In this episode, Congress has moved towards a historic victory this time in Karnataka. It seems to be getting such a massive majority that no party has got in the state for the last many years. Congress looks set to win 130 seats, several seats more than the majority mark. On the other hand, BJP has come down below 70 seats and JDS is showing its worst performance.

Local for vocal, PM’s mantra booster of Congress

Many reasons are being considered for this historic victory of Congress. The anti-incumbency wave against the BJP has not only made the way easier, but more than that the party’s own strategy has done wonders on the ground this time. PM Modi had given a slogan in the whole country – Local for vocal. Now to say that this slogan was related to business, it was asked to promote local products, but it seems that Congress has understood this mantra in a different way in Karnataka elections.

BJP’s polarization failed, Congress stuck to issues

Take a look at the campaign of the Congress party, it is clear that the strategy was clear from the beginning – come what may, we will not be distracted by local issues. The BJP tried its best to avoid the issue of polarization in the election season, to somehow link Bajrang Dal with Bajrang Bali, to somehow shift the election to national issues. But Congress worked to thwart all these bets of BJP with its strategy. The issue of corruption was raised, caste census was talked about and those election guarantees were announced in the manifesto which were directly related to the people of the state.

In the Karnataka elections, in which the BJP was constantly trying to capitalize on the popularity of PM Modi, on the other hand, the Congress, on the other hand, expressed its trust in local faces more than its central leadership. For this reason, the activism of Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar and Mallikarjun Kharge was seen more than Rahul-Priyanka in the election campaign. The results show that the party has benefited from it.

What were the local issues of Karnataka, which the Congress understood, not the BJP

Now this advantage of Congress can be understood when the local issues of Karnataka are understood properly. The issue of corruption has been in the headlines in the state for a long time. Inflation has been continuously discussed, the rates of LPG gas cylinders are on the lips of every common man. Unemployment is also seen being discussed. That is, these are local issues in Karnataka which are directly related to the people there.

Now in the elections, the Congress has also kept these issues at the center of its campaign. He focused the most on the issue of corruption. Several months back, Priyanka Gandhi had given the slogan of 40% commission government in an election rally. Just that slogan created such an atmosphere on the ground that every leader, every worker made it their biggest issue and it was mentioned in every rally and road show. Such a narrative has been set that the atmosphere against the BJP kept getting ready on the ground.

PM also raised the issue of corruption, why the benefit to Congress?

PM Modi had also definitely raised the issue of corruption of Congress in a public meeting, but it was not related to Rajiv Gandhi. That is, that issue had nothing to do with the public and by raising an old issue, it was an attempt to corner the country’s oldest party. On the other hand, whenever Rahul Gandhi to Priyanka Gandhi talked about corruption, the figures of the present government were placed on their behalf. In a rally, Rahul Gandhi had said that since the last three governments, a BJP government is running in the state, PM Modi knows that there is a lot of corruption here. They call it a double engine government. But this time that double engine itself has been stolen. Will Modi ji tell the people of Karnataka that which engine got how much money out of 40% commission.

This is not just a statement of Rahul Gandhi, but in a way he has fueled the issue which has been set among the people. He did not focus on any old corruption or say controversy, but raised a few months old issue and set the agenda on the basis of that. Now the results are telling that the party has got its full benefit. Similarly, inflation had also emerged as an important issue in the Karnataka elections.

Inflation made us cry, Congress redeemed

There also the most talked about thing among the people was that the prices of cooking gas are skyrocketing. The Congress had understood this issue very well, in such a situation, along with corruption, it was also made an important part of its campaign. It was emphasized in every rally that the gas cylinder which used to be available for Rs 410 during the UPA, now has to pay Rs 1100 for it. DK Shivkumar had even said that when you go to vote, you must look at your LPG cylinder once. Now it seems that the public has also looked at those cylinders and seeing them has also expressed its displeasure against the BJP.

Election hawkers, direct benefit to the public, Congress’s silver

The electoral guarantees of the Congress also prove that the party implemented the Local for Vocal very well. To say that the BJP kept saying that the Congress was only doing the work of distributing free hawkers to the public, but the party did not mind them and, understanding the aspirations of the people, made only those promises which would get votes directly. The big promises made by the Congress in the Karnataka elections were as follows – 2000 units of free electricity will be given to every family. The promise of giving 2000 rupees per month to the female head of every household, talk of giving 10 kg of rice free of cost to the families below the poverty line. Now they are rabble-rousers, but the public has liked them a lot and they have openly extended their support to the Congress.

Karnataka elections have given a message to BJP that victory cannot be registered in every election with the help of national issue and PM Modi. If local issues are raised in a proper way, people are directly talked about, then in that situation the party may face big setbacks in the coming elections in many other states as well.