Karnataka 2024: Power tussle, scams rock Congress, factional frictions hit BJP; JD(S) trips on sex tapes

Karnataka has seen power tussles and scandals in an eventuful year.

Bengaluru: From the Hassan sex scandal that sent shockwaves across the country to the MUDA site-allotment scam that disrupted long-standing political equations, the grave allegations, packed retaliations and intra-party power struggles reminded one of a fiction thriller as Karnataka politics saw it all in 2024.

The Congress’ dominant performance in the 2023 Assembly polls compelled the BJP and JD(S) to unite after 16 years. The alliance performed admirably in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. While the BJP bagged 17 of the 25 seats it contested, JD(S) won two out of the seats it contested. 

The near-perfect vote transfer between the BJP and JD(S) resurrected the beleaguered regional party and landed its state president H D Kumaraswamy in the Modi 3.0 Cabinet.

Hassan sex scandal

Protests over Prajwal Revanna's sex abuse

Amid elections, Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna left the country after pen drives were circulated containing videos of alleged sexual exploitation of several women by him. 

While Prajwal was arrested on May 31 after he arrived in Bengaluru, the issue hit national headlines and severely embarrassed the JD(S). The regional party lost in its bastion Hassan for the first time since 1999.

For the ruling Congress, the five flagship guarantees didn’t reap the expected electoral dividends, though it significantly increased its vote share and won eight more seats than in the 2019 polls. Following the electoral setback, a few Congress leaders questioned the guarantee schemes.

Siddaramaiah loses ‘Mr Clean’ sheen

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

The Congress landed in a political quagmire through the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited scam and the MUDA site-allotment scam in which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is the prime accused. 

While Minister B Nagendra had to resign and was later arrested in connection with the Valmiki Corporation scam, Siddaramaiah himself is facing a court-ordered investigation into the MUDA scam - this dented his ‘Mr Clean’ image - setting off a chain reaction that involved reopening old cases against BJP-JD(S) leaders.

The Congress also found itself on the backfoot when the BJP went berserk over farmers’ lands being marked as Waqf properties, a controversy that made national headlines.

Byelection balm for Congress

Congress members celebrate Channapatna bypoll win

Though attacked on the corruption plank, the Congress delivered a packed punch by winning all three by-elections in Channapatna, Shiggaon and Sandur constituencies. 

The BJP and JD(S) suffered setbacks as they lost in strongholds held by former chief ministers Basavaraj Bommai and H D Kumaraswamy. The victory was seen as a referendum for the guarantees, silencing critics.

Yatnal headache for BJP

Basanagouda Patil Yatnal

Factional infighting in the BJP intensified after veteran B S Yediyurappa’s son B Y Vijayendra was appointed the party’s state president. His rival faction headed by MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal was given a show-cause notice for publicly questioning Vijayendra’s leadership.

This year, Yediyurappa was booked on charges of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl. The case is before the High Court.

Also, BJP MLA Munirathna was booked on charges of sexual exploitation of a woman and hurling casteist slurs against another person.

Battle for one-upmanship

Siddaramaiah (L) and D K Shivakumar

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s chief ministerial ambitions hit the headlines after an explosive interview with a private channel, in which he hinted at an “agreement” for the top post. 

Though Shivakumar retraced his steps when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah denied any such agreement, the Kanakapura strongman’s recent posturing by recalling his aggressive demands to be included in the S M Krishna Cabinet in 1999, signalled his ambitions.

In the Belagavi session, the BJP attacked the Congress over the Waqf land controversy, though the government defended its actions through statistics. 

The session ended on a bitter note after Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar accused BJP member C T Ravi of using a ‘derogatory term’ about her in the Legislative Council, which the latter has denied. While Ravi was arrested, he was granted bail the next day by the High Court.