Celebrations in Cong, silence in BJP camp

This is the second victory for Congress after the Lok Sabha elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party has experienced a great blow in its own stronghold. The defeat makes it clear what cost a party should pay for its internal differences.

The differences which arose in the BJP during the candidate selection process did not get a solution till the end. Though the BJP leaders were seen together during Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s visit to the district, they did not work together for the party’s victory. Though the leaders ‘formally’ worked for canvassing, they did not work heartily. However, the intention of some of the BJP leaders of sending a proper message to the High Command has been realised now.

There is not a second word in the fact that BJP has a good team of dedicated workers. But this team was caught in confusion due to the differences of the leaders. The party that had made S G Medappa victorious with 173 votes just 14 months ago, could not ensure his victory this time.

Though the JD(S) had showed its support to the Congress candidate Mittu Changappa last time, he got defeated. Though the Congress had spent more last time, S G Medappa of the BJP had won. The BJP’s last minute technique bore fruits.
But this time, the day when three BJP aspirants filed their nominations, it became clear that victory was not easy to the BJP candidate.

The Congress that learnt a lesson with its previous defeat had started from the grassroots level for the Council polls. Victory was a prestige issue for it. Perhaps, the JD(S)-Congress combine could not have got a candidate who could spend elaborately for the elections, if it had missed the present opportunity. Political analysts say that the moment when the BJP leaders themselves knocked the doors of T John, the results became clear.

Medappa did not get an opportunity to form a strategy to counter the techniques of Congress-JDS alliance. Besides, he was overconfident.

In the meantime, the Congress-JD(S) leaders worked unitedly for the victory of their candidate.

Former ministers M C Nanaiah, M M Nanaiah, leaders C S Arun Machaiah, A K Subbaiah, Suma Vasanth, Veena Acchaiah and others worked together. Former minister B A Jeevijaya too expressed his solidarity with John in public which was a turning point.