The months leading up to the state Assembly elections have seen several high-profile defections, including BJP leader from Chikkamagluru H.D. Thammaiah and four-time MLC Puttanna, both of whom left the BJP to join the Congress. Although the elections are only a month away, the parties are yet to announce their Chief Ministerial candidates. The BJP is likely to choose its Chief Ministerial candidate from between B S Yediyurappa, who has been a strongman in Karnataka state politics for decades, and Basvaraj Bommai, the current Chief Minister, who replaced Yediyurappa in 2021. However, Bommai is currently facing serious corruption allegations and does not have the on-ground political support and backing that Yediyurappa holds. Similarly, Karnataka Congress Committee President D.K. Shivakumar and the leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, have both said they are going to be vying for the top post from the party. However, the party is yet to announce its Chief Ministerial candidate, while at the same time, the JD(S) is pushing to project H.D. Kumaraswamy for the post. In an attempt to win voters’ confidence, the parties are making various promises. The Congress, which is playing on the high anti-incumbency ongoing in the state, announced a ten-point manifesto which focuses on job creation, attracting investments, and developing tourism in the coastal region. Promises made by the party include 200 units of free electricity to every household, Rs. 2,000 in allowances to the matriarch of every family, special focus on Mogaveeras or Mogavira (a sub-caste of the Koli’s), insurance cover, and interest-free loans for fishermen as well as the development of various fisheries harbours. The BJP, on the other hand, is aiming to attract voters by its promises of a crop loan waiver, a Rs. 10,000 crore fund to set up the largest women-run cooperatives, low-interest rate loans to Self Help Groups (SHG), increasing work opportunities in the state as well as upgrading the sports infrastructure in government schools and colleges. The party will also launch the “Annadasoha” Scheme to ensure food security for all, as well as access to 24×7 electricity. The JD(S) is focusing also on waiving agricultural loans, and the development of higher skill development education and a proper primary health care system in the state. The party is promising accelerated investment in irrigation and promoting tourism, and the introduction of the “rent-to-own” scheme, which will allow people to rent homes from government institutions.
