• Schemes introduced for rural sector by UPA and JD(S)-BJP governments

Past Results

In the run up to the 2004 elections then Congress Chief Minister S M Krishna, who came to power in 1999 on the back of 136 seats, was expected to lead his party to victory. However the 2004 polls threw up a hung assembly with the BJP winning 79 seats, the Congress 65 and the JDS 58. First the Congress and JD-S ruled the state for nearly 18 months. The JD-S then aligned with the BJP to rule the state for 20 months before walking out on the BJP.

• For the JD-S who ruled the state between 1994 and 1999 the 2004 result was a huge bonus given the routing they received amidst it's own splintering in 1999.

• Prior to 1994, a non-Congress government ruled the state only between 1983 and 1989 when a coalition of the Janata Party, Kranti Ranga and the BJP were in power.

Battlelines

The caste foundation the Congress is going into for this election is that of the backward castes, the Dalits and the minorities. The Congress is also in contention for the votes of the Vokkaligas since large numbers of voters from the community are expected to have fallen out of favor with the Janata Dal-Secular who despite their identity as a Vokkaliga party emerged as spoilsports to the governments that were formed after the 2004 polls. There is no strong resentment to the Congress in the state. The party has not projected a CM candidate but has many contenders including SC leader Mallikarjun Kharge and OBC leader Siddaramaiah. The party has promised television sets and rice to the poor.

... contd.