The BJP appears heading to win half of the seats in the Assembly elections and now the first BJP goverment in Southern India looks almost like a certainty. The Congress is out of power and the father-son Devegowda & Kumaraswamy have been routed in the polls. The trends indicate that out of 224 constitutencies the BJP was all set to win nearly 110 or even more, which makes it the largest party and brings it in a position to form a government in Karanataka on its own.
The party had tried hard to build a base in the state. Unlike Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala where it is yet to establish a foothold, the BJP had managed to make a dent in the voteshare of Congress over the last decade, especially among Lingayats and other Backward Castes.
The election results are significant. With BJP heading a government in South India, it will be another jolt to Congress that still claimed to be the only national party. Also, the JD(S) leader HD Devegowda who wanted to play as a kingmaker has been rejected. His family-run party has won barely 30-odd seats.
It's BS Yeddiyurappa's moment, for now. For BJP it's a great opportunity to extend reputation below the Vindhyas and focus on governance rather than communal politics which had made it an untouchable in South until now.
