The area which had remained unflinchingly loyal to Congress for a long time has thrown up new challenges to the grand old party, besides entertaining new political possibilities. With Janata Dal becoming a credible alternative in mid 1980s, Congress started losing its primacy.

However, in the last two elections, both Congress and the Janata parivar outfits have been challenged by the BJP. Apparently, the saffron party has become a new phenomenon in the countryside in the present elections. From Bidar to Bellary, the BJP appears to have spread its tentacles far and wide. Except the minority Muslims, the BJP has been able to attract all sections of society including SCs, STs and OBCs. The Lingayats, of course, form the backbone of the party.

In 1999, when Sonia Gandhi sought election Bellary, it was considered the safest bet as Congress had never lost an election from that seat till then. But now, even Bellary (which went to polls in the second phase) is in the grip of BJP.

In Gulbarga -- the home district of two senior Congress stalwarts, KPCC president Mallikarjun Kharge and
former chief minister Dharam Singh --there is a visible saffron surge in the run up to the elections. Whether it will translate into electoral goodwill for BJP is anybody’s guess. But if the unprecedented influx into BJP on
election-eve is any indication, then Hyderabad Karnataka may throw up many surprises this time."

At a couple of places such as Devadurga (ST) in Raichur district and Aurad (SC) in Bidar district, Congress party did not find suitable candidates forcing the respective MPs to plunge into the field.

If they win, the two Lok Sabha seats will fall vacant causing unwanted byelections only for a period of less than an year. Democracy has learnt to live with such absurdities.

The JD(S) which had made impressive gains in the 2004 Assembly elections, appears to have dug its own grave in the region.

The JD(S) decision not to handover power to the BJP as per the original agreement seems to have helped the BJP to play the “betrayal card”. But both the JD(S) and the Congress have better grassroot network in the three tier panchayat raj institutions and the urban local bodies. Whether it will work to their advantage remains to be seen.
In Bidar, Raichur and Koppal districts the situation is no different. The floor crossings by the self seekers with an unprecedented alacrity has made the people dumbstruck. Several candidates belonging to all three major parties have been guilty of changing sides in search of greener pastures and this is one election in which issues have been burried alive.

Should the Congress be in a position to form the government, the Hyderabad Karnataka has in its womb at least three contenders for the chief ministership. Mallikarjuna Kharge in the event of Congress getting a
majority on its own and Dharam Singh in the event of a hung Assembly. The third contender is M P Prakash who would satisfy the Lingayat constituency in the CLP.