In 1977 post emergency election a stong Janata wave led by late Jayaprakash Narayan (popularly known as JP) swept away Indira Gandhi from power in North India. But in spite of her Emergency excesses South India stood solidly behind her. Karnataka was one such state, where AMMA INDIRAMMA (Mother Indira) cult eked out 27 out of total 28 seats.
The state was a citadel for Congress as Indira Gandhi won the byelection from Chikmagalur to enter the Parliament as she lost her seat in 1977 earlier from her home turf of Rai Bareilly in UP to a political buffoon named Raj Narain. She again made a clean sweep of Karnataka in 1980 Lok Sabha elections bringing her back to power in Delhi.
But R Gundu Rao's misrule of the state narrowly brought Janata Party lead by R K Hegde as Chief Minister in 1983. Karnataka was no more the Congress fort it once used to be. Though it won the state several times since then the party's monopoly was long gone.
Karnataka voters are one of the smartest in India. For last 35 years, they have been making their government accountable, changing them as and when needed - so that no political party can take them for granted. As crop rotation is known for enhancing the productivity of the soil, government rotation is sometime needed to keep the balance of power in check as well as to curb the corruption and inefficiency.
The best example - In December 1984 Lok Sabha elections Congress won 24 out of 28 seats. Yet barely couple of months later in March 1985, Karnataka voted for R K Hegde, bringing Janata Party to power in the state. The other states who went to poll voted for Congress as usual replicating the just concluded Lok Sabha polls. However Karnataka decided otherwise going against the flow. It yet reinforced the notion the southern state's voters are the smarter lot.
In this context, come 12th May, it will be interesting to watch the Kannadiga's vote. Only 3 to 5% vote swing can make a major difference irrespective of what opinion polls say - so I am sure the Karnataka voters have a surprise or two in store for the poll pundits as well as the nation in general.
The state was a citadel for Congress as Indira Gandhi won the byelection from Chikmagalur to enter the Parliament as she lost her seat in 1977 earlier from her home turf of Rai Bareilly in UP to a political buffoon named Raj Narain. She again made a clean sweep of Karnataka in 1980 Lok Sabha elections bringing her back to power in Delhi.
But R Gundu Rao's misrule of the state narrowly brought Janata Party lead by R K Hegde as Chief Minister in 1983. Karnataka was no more the Congress fort it once used to be. Though it won the state several times since then the party's monopoly was long gone.
Karnataka voters are one of the smartest in India. For last 35 years, they have been making their government accountable, changing them as and when needed - so that no political party can take them for granted. As crop rotation is known for enhancing the productivity of the soil, government rotation is sometime needed to keep the balance of power in check as well as to curb the corruption and inefficiency.
The best example - In December 1984 Lok Sabha elections Congress won 24 out of 28 seats. Yet barely couple of months later in March 1985, Karnataka voted for R K Hegde, bringing Janata Party to power in the state. The other states who went to poll voted for Congress as usual replicating the just concluded Lok Sabha polls. However Karnataka decided otherwise going against the flow. It yet reinforced the notion the southern state's voters are the smarter lot.
In this context, come 12th May, it will be interesting to watch the Kannadiga's vote. Only 3 to 5% vote swing can make a major difference irrespective of what opinion polls say - so I am sure the Karnataka voters have a surprise or two in store for the poll pundits as well as the nation in general.
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