Prime Minister Narendra Modi headlined the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign in Karnataka, pitching for a “double engine sarkar”, with the same party in power at both the Centre and State. He held over 20 rallies and roadshows in the State after elections were declared. An analysis of the election results in these constituencies show that his rallies seem to have had little impact, except for his three roadshows in Bengaluru.
Out of the 17 other locations where the PM held rallies and roadshows, the BJP has won in only five seats. The Congress won in 13 places and the Janata Dal (Secular) won in two seats. However, the BJP insisted that Mr. Modi’s rallies were not targeted to the particular constituencies where they were held, but to adjoining constituencies. When adjoining seats are also considered, these rallies covered over 45 seats. When all 45 seats are considered and their results compared to the BJP’s seat tally in 2018, it has lost five seats. It won 23 seats out of the 45 in 2018, and now has only 18. Congress has gained three of these seats.
For instance, in seats like Shivamogga Rural, Kudachi in Belagavi, Kolar, Vijayanagar, Chitradurga, Sindhanur, Kalaburagi, Karwar, Kittur, Nanjangud, Channapatna, Badami and Haveri seats, where Mr. Modi held rallies, BJP lost out. Of the PM’s rally locations, the BJP won in Humnabad in Bidar, Bijapur City, Belur in Hassan, Mudabidri, and Tumakuru Rural. In Bengaluru, where he held three mega roadshows, the party has maintained status quo.
