Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to have changed the outcome of Karnataka polls 2018 in 10 days of campaigning in Karnataka.
A week is a long time in politics, they say, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to have proved this right in Karnataka. Battleground Karnataka--touted as the real test for the Congress and BJP before Lok Sabha Elections 2019--could force political parties to re-think their political strategy. If exit polls are to be believed, Karnataka is headed for a cliffhanger. Exit polls have predicted mixed results, with the odd swinging in BJP’s favour.
Just a couple of weeks back, experts were painting a rosy picture for the Congress and going by Rahul Gandhi's demeanour and statement--I am ready to be Prime Minister if Congress came out on top in 2019--winds were sailing in their favour. But after ten days of campaigning and two days Nepal visit (Congress leaders term it extended campaigning for Karnataka polls), exit polls have given an advantage to Narendra Modi led BJP.
Surely, BJP did something subtle and great that Congress and others failed to decipher and possibly failed to devise a counter strategy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to have changed the outcome of Karnataka polls 2018 in 10 days of campaigning in Karnataka. He pulled out all stops to wrest power from the Congress in the State.
Initially, PM Modi was supposed to address only 15 rallies/ public meetings in Karnataka but he went on to increase this number to around 20.
This sure was a signal to Congress that BJP smells a victory and they will leave no stone unturned. PM Modi raised the issue of farmers' distress, development, employment and appeasement of a section of the society. Congress accused him of making personal attacks against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. But going by the crowd that Modi's rallies attracted, Congress should have shown more aggression and involved other national leaders of the party to challenge BJP's narrative.
This is not to suggest that Congress President Rahul Gandhi failed to connect with the people, but it appears that Congress failed to rise to the changed reality. BJP President Amit Shah and PM Modi kept on scoring runs in T10 of the political match, and Congress appeared to bask in the glory that they have scored enough runs to win Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018. As it happens in most of the cricket matches, runs scored during slog overs ultimately decide the winner.
Amit Shah kept the cadre motivated and remained connected with them all the time, Prime Minister came took the center stage on May 1 with his 'campaign-blitzkrieg', and appears to have snatched the advantage the Congress had achieved. Congress had gained a lot of ground with strong social media strategy and Rahul's campaigning in the state.
As Congress leader Ashok Gehlot alleged on Saturday, 'Modi's visits in Nepal were aimed at voters in Karnataka,' this again appears to be a piece of well-crafted election campaigning. While the timings of PM Modi's Nepal visit could be debated by some political parties, the fact remains that there is not much the opposition leaders can do about it.
PM Narendra Modi on Friday offered prayers at Janki Temple in Nepal. Images of PM Modi offering prayers at Muktinath Temple on Saturday were beamed to the television sets of voters of Karnataka on the polling day. Some experts believe this strengthens BJP's Hindutva image and going by some polls, there were many in Karnataka who had not made up their mind on the political party till the last day of the voting.
Every election is different and demands a different strategy. And you can't rest on your laurels till the last voter has cast his vote.
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