BJP's slender win boosts Congress chances in Karnataka

Bengaluru, Dec 18: It is the turn of Karnataka now to taste the ballot as the crucial Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Elections had earned the ruling BJP victories though in contrasting style.

The ruling Congress in Karnataka is facing anxious moments with Assembly election less than five months away though Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claims that there was no anti-incumbency mood in the state. However a lack lustre victory of the BJP in Gujarat should give a ray of hope for a tough challenge with elections due before
May 2018.
Analysts have predicted a hung Assembly in Karnataka after the coming election. But the less than impressive performance by BJP in Gujarat provides the Congress party leaders in Karnataka some thing to cheer about.
BJP is on a big surge ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the party to a
landslide win in the 2014 elections and the saffron party has not turned back ever since.
Post 2014 the BJP ruled in just seven states, while Congress was in power in 13. But after today's win in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh the party now rules in 19 states while the Congress' number has dwindled to just four.
The Saffron party which was ruling 22 years on the trot in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state suffered a set back despite winning a simple majority and is said to drop below the psychologically important mark of 100 seats in the 182-member
Assembly. 
BJP’s poor performance gives Congress party confidence to take on the saffron party in Karnataka, its last bastion when it comes to major state, apart from Punjab.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday that the Gujarat Assembly poll verdict will have no impact on Karnataka.
Talking to the presspersons at Yadgir he said Congress need not feel bad for not wresting power in Gujarat as it had won more seats compared to last time. The 'political stunts' off Mr Modi and Mr Amit Shah will not have an effect in Karnataka.
He was confident that his party would gain a comfortable majority in the State Assembly election, giving Party President Rahul Gandhi a fine gift. 
Speaking to reporters in the city in the backdrop of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh results, Mr Yeddyurappa however expressed confidence of the BJP winning 150 out of 224 seats in 2018 Assembly election in Karnataka.
'Congress party is down and out and Mr Rahul Gandhi had failed miserably to lift the party. The Parivartana Yatra the BJP had taken up in Karnataka now is attracting huge public. Today's election result is a prelude to Congress losing power in Karnataka,' he 
claimed. UNI