In blow to Cong, BJP makes deep inroads into Old Mysuru region

BENGALURU: The Vokkaliga-dominated old Mysuru region is no longer a bastion of the Congress and the JD(S). The BJP, which registered a spectacular show in these Lok Sabha elections, came out ahead of the two traditional rivals by securing a staggering 8.5 lakh more votes in the region than the two parties, which fought these elections side-by-side.

Of the 11 Lok Sabha seats that fall under the Old Mysuru region — Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan, Tumakuru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru South, Central, North and Rural — the saffron party secured a massive 73.8 lakh (50.4%) votes as against the 65.1 lakh votes (44%) bagged by the Congress and the JD(S) combined.The BJP votes include that of the independent candidate Sumalatha who was backed by the party in Mandya.
The saffron party’s performance in the region appears even more impressive when compared to its show in the 2014 parliamentary elections. The party has increased its vote share by a remarkable 16.4% — from 34% to 50.4%. In terms of votes polled, the party recorded an increase of 62.2% votes, perhaps the highest in the country after West Bengal, a BJP source said.
In 2014, the party had polled 45.5 lakh votes, while the Congress and JD(S), which fought the elections separately then, polled 52 lakh and 26.6 lakh (total 78.6 lakh) votes respectively.
“This is the result of concerted efforts over the years to strengthen the party,” Aravind Limbavali, state BJP general secretary, told TOI. “Our improved organisational strength, which reached every household to highlight Modi government’s performance and failures of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government, is the main reason for our victory in the Old-Mysuru region.”
Though these results are no indicator of what future elections may hold — many attribute the defeat of the Congress-JD(S) combine in the region to the lack of trust between the allies — it has definitely left the traditional rivals worried about their future. The results have also effectively left both the Congress and the JD(S) with no bastion of their own in the state.
For the JD(S) and the HD Deve Gowda family, the results are a body blow as their only bastion which ensured their political survival till now — despite a lack of acceptance by all strata of society — is seen to be shifting its allegiance to the BJP.
However, more than the JD(S), it is the Congress which should be worried with the saffron party’s march in the region, as the grand old party has already ceded its political space to the BJP in north Karnataka. Losing ground in south Karnataka will only make the going really tough.
“If there is a choice between the Congress and the JD(S), the Vokkaligas will definitely support the latter,” said a senior Congress MLA. “Therefore, things are going to be difficult for the Congress unless it starts seriously working on its shortcomings.”