“Why the BJP-JD(S) alliance matters beyond Karnataka”, Swarajyamag, September 24, 2023:
“The Janata Dal (Secular), the JD(S), formally joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) this week. Electorally, its impact will be limited to Karnataka, but politically, the ramifications of this tie-up are pan-national.
A little background first: In the 2014 general elections, the JD(S), BJP, and the Congress all contested independently. In 2019, the JD(S) joined the Congress. But, instead of sweeping the state, this alliance triggered a massive counter-consolidation of the civilizational vote in favour of the BJP. There was a straight 10 per cent vote swing to the BJP which left the rest reeling.
The bulk of this swing was from the Congress, especially in southern Karnataka, where the BJP had traditionally fared poorly. However, the assembly elections of 2022 were an eye-opener, because the BJP lost badly in a triangular contest, and because a firm trend was established – that Karnataka votes very differently in state and general polls……..”
Read the full article at Swarajyamag.com
