India’s Congress party defeats Narendra Modi’s BJP in Karnataka state elections

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India’s opposition Congress party has swept the Karnataka state elections, dealing a blow to Narendra Modi’s ruling party, which had fought hard to retain power.

As votes were counted on Saturday, it became clear Congress had won an overwhelming majority in the state and the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) quickly conceded defeat. “People have rejected divisive politics,” said Pawan Khera, a Congress party spokesperson.

The elections in Karnataka, home to 65 million people, had been seen as an important bellwether ahead of the general election next year, when Modi will seek a third term in power.

The BJP had been in power in Karnataka since 2018 and campaigned hard to hold on to the state, despite a strong anti-incumbency sentiment. Karnataka is the party’s only stronghold in southern India and was seen as a crucial stepping stone for its political ambitions in the nearby states of Telangana and Tamil Nadu, which have so far largely resisted the Hindu nationalist politics of the BJP.

In an attempt to win over voters, the party put Modi at the forefront of its campaign, as the prime minister took part in nine rallies and roadshows in the final weeks of campaigning.

But despite a high-octane campaign during which the BJP held more than 9,000 rallies, Modi’s popularity was not enough to overcome allegations of corruption against the BJP state government, as well as frustrations over rising inflation and a lack of job creation outside the city’s thriving capital, Bengaluru. The state’s dominant Lingayat caste, once a strong part of the BJP’s base, had also been seen to withdraw support after several old-guard leaders were not given tickets to run.

The result was a major triumph for Congress, which has had an otherwise poor record of winning state elections since Modi came to power in 2014, with only three other states under its control. It was a tough battle for the party, which is outpaced by the BJP in terms of finances and mobilisation on the ground.

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The win provides it a much-needed boost before the general election when it will go up against the BJP on a national level. Congress, which admits it cannot defeat the BJP on its own, is pushing for an opposition coalition – and according to analysts, the win in Karnataka will put it in a stronger position to make a deal with other parties.

Unlike in north India, the BJP’s attempts to use religious polarisation to mobilise the Hindu majority proved relatively unsuccessful, except in the coastal areas of the state, where right-wing Hindu nationalist elements had been particularly proactive under their recent government.

“Secularism over communal politics, harmony over hatred,” said Siddaramaiah, the state leader of the Congress party, after the results were announced.