The Central Karnataka region saw the BJP triumph over its rivals in a decisive manner. Two factors need to be budgeted into any explanation of the victory. In Shimoga — home district of the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate — the crushing defeat inflicted on Bangarappa’s Samajwadi Party was clearly evident. Secondly, the impact of the ‘mining lobby’ of Bellary was not merely evident in that district but appears to have chiseled many BJP victories in the neighbouring districts of Davangere and Chitradurga.

The social coalition that the BJP was able to construct worked to its advantage. The upper caste vote appears to have consolidated in its favour. The party also benefited from the votes of the dominant Lingayat caste, especially in Northern Karnataka. The other dominant caste, the Vokkaligas appeared to be split between the Congress and the Janata Dal(S) with the BJP too getting a small chunk of its vote especially in Bangalore city and pockets of the Old Mysore region. Many anticipated a non-dominant backward caste unity being forged by the Congress. This does not seem to have been achieved. The beneficiary again was the BJP.

The BJP ran its election campaign as a well oiled machine with no visible signs of disunity. On the face of it, the party appeared to fully back its chief ministerial candidate, B.S Yeddyurappa. The Congress, on the other hand, had entered the battle without anointing its Commander in Chief. There were, of course, a battalion of Commanders-in-Chief ‘in waiting’ who made no secret of their desire to lead the party after it secured victory. The point that was missed was that winning the battle needed a clearly declared commander. Commandership was not a prize to be awarded after the victory conch was blown.

... contd.