The Janata Dal (Secular), the regional party with a strong voter base in the Vokkaliga-dominated region, capitulated to its traditional rival the Congress in a crucial election that it was fighting to remain relevant in the State’s politics. In its worst performance in over two decades, not only has it ceded seats to the Congress in this election, but now stares at a bigger threat as the BJP has made inroads into its traditional pockets, seemingly at the cost of the regional player.
No kingmaker
Overall, the number of seats of the JD(S), which was hoping to play the ‘kingmaker’ role, has seen a steep fall from 37 in 2018 to 19 in 2023. In the changing undercurrents, its vote share has dipped from 18.36% in 2018 to 13.3% in 2023. Its worst-ever performance was in 1999 with 10.42% votes share following the split of the Janata Dal into JD(S) and the Janata Dal (United). The party has faced the voter’s ire in its core area partly due to its legislators’ apathy and localised poll battles in some constituencies even as the Congress became the leading party in the perceived anti- incumbency and the price rise factors that are now seen to have worked against the BJP.
