Karnataka polls: Congress looks to weave web of narratives to trap BJP

Congress is using a mix of major and minor narratives with varied shelf life to woo voters in the Karnataka Assembly elections and set the agenda, which it wants the BJP to respond to, along with around 20 campaign rallies by Rahul Gandhi in the next 20 days.

The party has set “40% commission government” and four guarantees promised by the party as its major campaign planks and last Sunday, it added the social justice plank with Caste Census and removal of 50% quota cap to increase reservation benefits for OBCs, Dalits, and tribals to it.

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Sources said they would “relentlessly campaign on a daily basis” on the four main themes, which also includes the need for giving the Congress an overwhelming majority with at least 150 seats so that there is no instability and the need for the party to come under any pressure.

Besides Rahul, who has already addressed three rallies since April 16 out of the around 20 planned, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also hold a series of campaign rallies and road shows in the next three weeks. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi is likely to issue an appeal to voters towards the end of the campaign.

The party aims to sustain the campaign tempo in the last 10-15 days, when the BJP is expected to unleash a campaign blitzkrieg with Prime Minister Narendra Modi entering the fray. Sources said the Congress wants to drag Modi into the social justice debate and they believe that his response either way would be beneficial to them.

While focusing on the main themes, the party will also use other sub themes that would have resonance among voters. Sources cited how they used the ‘Nandini’ issue to corner the BJP and the rebellion within BJP where around 40 leaders are fighting against the party in the election.

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“There are some issues whose shelf life may be less. We pick up those issues to educate the voters along with our major themes. Our aim is to set the agenda and we are seeing that the BJP is being forced to respond but so far they are not able to give a proper response,” a Congress leader who is involved in the designing of the campaign told DH.

Citing the Nandini issue, sources said the Congress is “pouncing on the weapons” provided by the BJP.

Nadda's remarks

On Wednesday, the party immediately picked up BJP president JP Nadda’s remarks that for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s blessings to continue to pour on Karnataka, they should vote for BJP.

Demanding an apology from Nadda, Congress leader Srivatsa tweeted, "BJP which is facing 40+ rebels which will reduce them to just 40 seats is scared and has now resorted to scaring people to vote for them."

Congress also picked up on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s response to Siddaramaiah when he raised the issue of Kannadiga tribals struck in civil war-torn Sudan.

Lingayat factor

The party is also trying to woo Lingayats with the entry of Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi among others by targeting BJP Organising Secretary B L Santosh but this does not form the party’s official campaign.

The party managers believe that there is a Dalit consolidation behind the Congress due to the presence of Kharge, who was elected party chief as well as the renewed push for proportional quota for dalits and tribals.

It also believes that there is a substantial minority consolidation, while the leadership crisis in BJP is seen as another advantage.