The BJP’s long-cherished dream has come true. The party, which took its present shape in 1980, had to wait for 27 years to have a Chief Minister in South India. Though the party has not come to power with an absolute majority, its growth in the State over the past two decades has been phenomenal.
The party won 18 seats in the first election that it faced in 1983. With the BJP’s outside support, the then Janata Dal formed the government under the leadership of Ramakrishna Hegde. However, in the 1985 elections, the party’s strength was reduced to just four seats. Even in 1989, it could not gather more than two Assembly seats.
The party improved its strength in the 1990s and emerged as the single largest party with 79 seats in the 2004 Assembly elections. Here is a quick look at the party’s growth since its inception in Karnataka.
* BJP took shape in Karnataka on April 6, 1980
* In 1983 Assembly elections, won 18
* In 1985, strength reduced to 4
* In 1989, the party’s MLAs were only 2
* In 1994, the party secured 40 seats
* In 1999, the party won 42 seats
* In 2004, the party won 79 seats