Bharatiya Janata Party, Karnataka Explained

Native Name:ಭಾರತೀಯ ಜನತಾ ಪಕ್ಷ, ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ
Leader:
Party Logo:File:Bharatiya Janata Party logo.svg
Abbreviation:BJP
President:B. Y. Vijayendra
Colours: Saffron
State Seats Name:Karnataka Legislative Assembly
State2 Seats Name:Karnataka Legislative Council
Symbol:Lotus
Chairman:
Flag:BJP Flag.svg
Bharatiya Janata Party, Karnataka
Eci:registered
Founder:

The Bharatiya Janata Party, or simply, BJP Karnataka (BJP; pronounced as /bʱaːɾət̪iːjə dʒənət̪aː paːrtiː/;), is the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party of the Karnataka. Its head office is situated at the BJP Bhavan, 11th Cross, Temple Street, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru. The current president of BJP Karnataka is B. Y. Vijayendra. It is the main opposition party in Karnataka.

Till date 4 chief ministers from the party have served the state.[1]

Electoral history

BJP contested 110 seats in the January 1983 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election, winning 18 seats and obtained 7.9% of the votes cast across the state.[2] Out of its 110 candidates, 71 lost their deposits. Along with the Andhra Pradesh legislative election there same year, this marked the first major performance of the party in southern India.[3] Nine out of the 18 BJP legislators came from the coastal districts. The influence of BJP in Karnataka was marked by its inability to mobilize support in rural areas, where the Janata Dal leader Ramakrishna Hegde and Abdul Nazir Sab (Hegde's Rural Development Minister) had built a strong network of local Janata Dal leaders through the panchayat system. After the 1983 election the BJP offered some outside support to the Hegde government.

The party suffered a set-back in the 1985 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election, only 2 of its 115 candidates were elected.[3] The party obtained 3.7% of the state-wide vote and 100 of its candidates lost their deposits.[3] The BJP’s journey is one of evolution, from a nascent political force to a powerful institution, from a unifying voice to a catalyst for change.

The 1980s was characterized by internal strife in the BJP Karnataka unit, as the followers of Ananth Kumar and V. Dhananjay Kumar combatted each other. Ananth Kumar was the secretary of the Karnataka BJP unit 1987–1988.[4] In 1988, trying to overcome the split, B. S. Yediyurappa was chosen as the consensus candidate for the presidency of the BJP Karnataka state unit.[5] BJP contested 119 seats in the 1989 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election, winning four seats and obtaining 4.13% of the votes cast across the state.[6]

BJP obtained 28.8% of the votes in Karnataka in the 1991 Indian general election. This result marked a sharp increase from the 2.5% of the votes that the party had received in the 1989 Indian general election in Karnataka.[7] This time BJP had contested all 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, winning four. The growth of BJP vote in Karnataka was partially due to the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign and the nationalist discourse of the party.[8]

BJP fielded 223 candidates in the 1994 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election.[6] Ahead of the election the party state unit published a 41-page manifesto, seeking to portray a pragmatic and populist approach of the party with a focus on socio-economic issues rather than communalist discourse. After the 1994 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election, BJP held the role as Leader of Opposition in the assembly for a brief period. The electoral result had an important symbolic meaning for the BJP, who had begun to see Karnataka as its 'gateway' into south India.[7]

By the late 1990s, Karnataka was the sole state in southern India where BJP wasn't a marginal political phenomenon.[9] [10] During this period, the anti-reservation stance of BJP in response to the Mandal Commission had attracted support among higher castes in Karnataka, rather than Hindutva nationalism per se.[9] The 1999 split in the Janata Dal offered the BJP the possibility to do inroads among Lingayat voters. However, as of the late 1990s the BJP Karnataka state organization remained weak, with the strength of the party concentrated in urban pockets and a few rural pockets (Coorg and the two coastal districts). In the 1998 Lok Sabha parliamentary election, BJP increased its number of seats in Karnataka from six to 13.[11] BJP had contested the election in coalition with Lok Shakti, through which BJP had contested 18 seats and Lok Shakti 10 seats.[12] [13] With Lok Shakti's Hegde campaigning for the BJP, the party was somewhat able to portray a more moderate image and tone down its Hindutva profile.[13]

Just before the 1999 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election, the BJP national leadership forced its Karnataka branch into an alliance with the then governing Janata Dal (United).[14] Thus the party could not benefit from the anti-incumbency wave against the Janata Dal cabinet. The tie-up with the Janata Dal (United) was unpopular among BJP workers in the state. Following the 1999 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election the party obtained the Leader of Opposition role again.

The more significant breakthrough of BJP as a major actor in Karnataka state politics came in 2004.[15] In the 2004 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election, the party won 71 out of 224 seats. Whilst BJP remained organizationally weak in rural Karnataka, it managed to increase its share of vote by attracting Lingayat voters from parts of northern Karnataka.[15] In the 2004 Lok Sabha parliamentary election, BJP won 18 seats from Karnataka. BJP had become the largest party in the state assembly, but could not form a government as the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress Party formed a coalition.[15] The JD(S)-Congress coalition, however, suffered internal strife and in 2006 H.D Kumarswami struck a deal with BJP which stipulated that the post of Chief Minister would be given to BJP after a 20-month period. In 2007, when the 20 months had passed, H.D Kumarswami opted to retain the position, sparking outcry and a wave of sympathy towards BJP and B. S. Yediyurappa.[16] [17]

The strength of BJP in Karnataka state politics increased significantly between October 2007 and April 2009.[16] Ahead of the 2008 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election, BJP had emerged as the sole viable alternative to the Janata Dal (S) and the Congress Party in Karnataka state politics. Following the formation of the BJP state government in 2008, there was a wave of attacks on Christian churches in Karnataka. The National Commission for Minorities denounced the BJP state governments for inaction in preventing the attacks.[18] Under pressure from the central government, the BJP state government arrested a number of Shri Ram Sena leaders.[18]

In the 2013 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election, the BJP fell to third place in the state behind the Indian National Congress and Janata Dal (Secular). While the INC won a majority in the Legislative Assembly with 122 seats, the BJP fell to 40 seats.

The decision of the Congress state government to grant minority status to the Lingayats prompted the RSS (a move seen by RSS as "an attempt to divide the Hindus") to take a more active role in supporting the BJP in the 2018 state elections.[19] RSS brought in senior leaders from across the country for the state election campaign.[19] Reportedly some 50,000 RSS cadres campaigned for BJP, as well as some 3,000 Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal cadres.[19] RSS mobilization for BJP in the electoral campaign was particularly strong in the coastal districts (a stronghold of RSS, but also an area with sizable Christian and Muslim populations).[19]

Support base

For many years, the BJP support base was mainly Brahmin & Jains but in 1990's it expanded to include more Lingayats (as well as some Vokkaligas).[6] [20] Most of the party state leadership is either Lingayat or Brahmin.[20] By the 2000s, the party had sought support among other communities, such as the OBCs, Dalits and Vokkaligas, utilizing Hindutva as mobilizing factor (albeit with limited success).[20] The party has a strong support base in the coastal regions of the state (especially Udupi and Dakshina Kannada).The party has consistently maintained support in the urban centres of Karnataka.[21]

Electoral history

Legislative Assembly elections

YearSeats won+/-Voteshare (%) +/- (%)Outcome
1983 187.93%Outside support for JP
1985 16 3.88% 4.05%Opposition
1989 24.14% 0.26%Opposition
1994 3616.99% 12.85%Opposition
1999 420.69% 3.70%Opposition
2004 3528.33% 7.64%Opposition,
later Government
2008 3133.86% 5.53%Government
2013 7019.89% 13.97%Opposition
2018 6436.22% 16.33%Opposition,
later Government
2023 3836.00% 0.22%Opposition

Lok Sabha elections

YearSeats won+/-
1984
1989
1991 4
1996 2
1998 7
1999 6
2004 11
2009 1
2014 2
2019 8
2024 8

Leadership

S. Mallikarjunaiah was the vice president of the BJP Karnataka state unit between 1980 and 1986.[22] He again held the post as BJP Karnataka state unit vice president 1990–1991.[22]

Nalin Kumar Kateel was appointed as the president of the Karnataka state unit of BJP on August 20, 2019.[23] Reportedly the outgoing president B. S. Yediyurappa had favoured Arvind Limbavali for the post, but the National General Secretary (Organisation) of the party B.L. Santosh had favoured Kateel due to his credentials as a RSS loyalist.[23] Soon after taking over as state unit president Kateel named Bhanuprakash and Nirmal Kumar Surana as Vice Presidents of the BJP state unit.[24] The two leaders, seen as part of the 'old guard' of the party, had been ousted from the state leadership in 2016.[24]

List of chief ministers

NoPortraitNameConstituencyTerm of officeAssembly
1B. S. YediyurappaShikaripura12 November 200719 November 200712th
30 May 20084 August 201113th
2D. V. Sadananda GowdaMLC5 August 201111 July 2012
3Jagadish ShettarHubli-Dharwad Central12 July 201212 May 2013
(1)B. S. YediyurappaShikaripura17 May 201823 May 201815th
26 July 201928 July 2021
(total 5 years, 81 days)
4Basavaraj BommaiShiggaon28 July 202115 May 2023

List of deputy chief ministers

NoPortraitNameConstituencyTerm of officeChief Minister
1B. S. YediyurappaShikaripura3 February 20068 October 2007H. D. Kumaraswamy
2K. S. EshwarappaShimoga12 July 201212 May 2013Jagadish Shettar
R. AshokaPadmanaba Nagar
3C. N. Ashwath NarayanMalleshwaram20 August 201926 July 2021B. S. Yediyurappa
Laxman SavadiMLC
Govind KarjolMudhole

Opposition leaders in Legislative Assembly

NoPortraitNameConstituencyTerm of officeAssemblyChief Minister
1B. S. YediyurappaShikaripura27 December 199418 December 199610thH. D. Deve Gowda
J. H. Patel
2Jagadish ShettarHubli-Dharwad Central26 October 199923 February 2004 11thS. M. Krishna
(1)B. S. YediyurappaShikaripura9 June 20042 February 200612thDharam Singh
(2)Jagadish ShettarHubli-Dharwad Central23 January 2014 17 May 2018 14thSiddaramaiah
(1)B. S. YediyurappaShikaripura25 May 201826 July 201915thH. D. Kumaraswamy
Interim Basavaraj BommaiShiggaon4 July 202317 November 2023
3 R. AshokaPadmanaba Nagar17 November 2023incumbent16th

Opposition leaders in Legislative Council

NoPortraitNameTerm of officeChief Minister
1D. H. Shankaramurthy8 July 200216 June 2004S. M. Krishna
16 June 200423 November 2005Dharam Singh
2D. V. Sadananda Gowda17 May 201324 May 2014Siddaramaiah
3K. S. Eshwarappa13 July 201417 May 2018
4Kota Srinivas Poojary2 July 201826 July 2019H. D. Kumaraswamy
25 December 20234 June 2024
5Chalavadi Narayanaswamy4 June 2024incumbent

List of presidents

NoNamePeriod
1A.K.Subbaiah198019833 years
2B. B. Shivappa198319885 years
3B. S. Yediyurappa198819913 years
4K.S. Eshwarappa199319985 years
(3)B. S. Yediyurappa199819991 year
5Basavaraj Patil Sedam200020033 years
6Ananth Kumar200320041 year
7Jagadish Shettar200420062 years
8D. V. Sadananda Gowda200620104 years
(4) K. S. Eshwarappa28-Jan-201021-Mar-2013
9Pralhad Joshi21-Mar-20138-Apr-2016
(3)B. S. Yediyurappa8-Apr-201620-Aug-2019
10Nalin Kumar Kateel20-Aug-201910-Nov-2023
11B. Y. Vijayendra10-Nov-2023present

See also

References

Works cited

Notes and References

  1. Web site: List of Chief Ministers of Karnataka & Their Service Periods – Oneindia . 2023-05-13 . www.oneindia.com . en.
  2. Book: Robert L. Hardgrave. India Under Pressure: Prospects For Political Stability. 13 March 2019. Taylor & Francis. 978-0-429-71661-4. 137.
  3. Book: Pratap Chandra Swain. Bharatiya Janata Party: Profile and Performance. 2001. APH Publishing. 978-81-7648-257-8. 194, 199, 207.
  4. Book: Ravi Bhushan. Reference India: Biographical Notes about Men & Women of Achievement of Today & Tomorrow. 2003. Rifacimento International. 59.
  5. Book: Business Standard Political Profiles of Cabals and Kings. 2009. Business Standard Books. 978-81-905735-4-2. 188.
  6. Book: Harish Ramaswamy. Karnataka Government and Politics. 2007. Concept Publishing Company. 978-81-8069-397-7. 241, 254, 260.
  7. Book: Partha Sarathy Ghosh. BJP and the Evolution of Hindu Nationalism: From Periphery to Centre. 1 January 1999. Manohar Publishers & Distributors. 978-81-7304-253-9. 111.
  8. Book: Sumantra Bose. Transforming India. 16 September 2013. Harvard University Press. 978-0-674-72819-6. 71.
  9. Book: Christophe Jaffrelot. The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics: 1925 to the 1990s : Strategies of Identity-building, Implantation and Mobilisation (with Special Reference to Central India). 1999. Penguin Books India. 978-0-14-024602-5. 439, 444–445, 539, 542.
  10. Book: Thomas Blom Hansen. Christophe Jaffrelot. The BJP and the compulsions of politics in India. 4 June 2001. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-565614-5. 163.
  11. Book: Ananth V. Krishna. India Since Independence: Making Sense Of Indian Politics. September 2011. Pearson Education India. 978-81-317-3465-0. 409.
  12. Book: University of Madras. Electoral politics and nation building in South Indian states. 2003. University of Madras. 157.
  13. Book: M. L. Ahuja. Electoral Politics and General Elections in India, 1952-1998. 1998. Mittal Publications. 978-81-7099-711-5. 107.
  14. Book: Wendy Doniger. Martha C. Nussbaum. Pluralism and Democracy in India: Debating the Hindu Right. 9 February 2015. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-938093-0. 167.
  15. Book: Katharine Adeney. Lawrence Saez. Coalition Politics and Hindu Nationalism. 11 April 2007. Routledge. 978-1-134-23978-8. 92–94.
  16. Book: Paul Wallace. Ramashray Roy. India's 2009 Elections: Coalition Politics, Party Competition and Congress Continuity. 5 May 2011. SAGE Publications. 978-81-321-0774-3. 270, 272–273, 282.
  17. Book: Kanta Murali. Caste, Class and Capital. 2 February 2017. Cambridge University Press. 978-1-107-15450-6. 235.
  18. Book: Amrita Basu. Violent Conjunctures in Democratic India. 30 June 2015. Cambridge University Press. 978-1-107-08963-1. 49, 108.
  19. Book: Walter Andersen. Shridhar D. Damle. Messengers of Hindu Nationalism: How the RSS Reshaped India. 15 June 2019. Hurst. 978-1-78738-288-6. 398.
  20. Book: Gopal K. Kadekodi. S. M. Ravi Kanbur. Vijayendra Rao. Development in Karnataka: Challenges of Governance, Equity, and Empowerment. 2008. Academic Foundation. 978-81-7188-619-7. 48–49, 98.
  21. Book: Kadekodi, Gopal K. . Development in Karnataka: Challenges of Governance, Equity, and Empowerment . Kanbur . S. M. Ravi . Rao . Vijayendra . 2008 . Academic Foundation . 978-81-7188-619-7 . en.
  22. Book: H. D. Singh. 543 faces of India: guide to 543 parliamentary constituencies. Newmen Publishers. 1996. 129.
  23. Deccan Herald. Nalin Kumar Kateel new BJP state president
  24. The Hindu. Two old guards back as BJP Karnataka unit vice-presidents