June 4th 2024.
Bengaluru: The recent Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka have brought a much-needed boost of morale for the JD party, which has been dealing with the aftermath of a sex scandal involving its MP Prajwal Revanna. Despite the controversy, the party was able to secure two out of the three seats it contested, showing a strong presence in the state.
H.D. Kumaraswamy, the party's state president and former Chief Minister, emerged victorious from Mandya while his nephew and sitting MP Revanna, who has been facing allegations of sexual abuse, lost his seat in Hassan. The third seat was won by JD candidate M Mallesh Babu in Kolar. The party has taken Revanna's defeat in stride, with Kumaraswamy stating that they will work towards rectifying their losses.
On Prajwal's defeat, Kumaraswamy shared with reporters, "It was a known fact. Some issues cannot be discussed openly. We will work towards fixing our mistakes." Currently, Revanna is in the custody of the Special Investigation Team, after being abroad for over a month. The sexual abuse allegations came to light just before the Lok Sabha polls in April, causing a major scandal for the JD party. The government ordered a probe, and Revanna's father and H.D. Gowda's son, H.D. Revanna, is also facing similar charges, causing further embarrassment for the party.
This Lok Sabha election was critical for the JD party, as they had faced a significant decline in their performance in the 2023 Assembly polls, going from 37 seats to 19. Their vote share also decreased from 18.36% to 13.3%. The worst performance for the party was in 1999 when they only received 10.42% of the votes, following the split of Janata Dal into JD and JD. In an effort to improve their prospects, the JD party formed an alliance with the BJP, hoping to counter the Congress' attempts to weaken them by poaching their leaders and legislators. As a result, the alliance proved to be successful, with the JD winning two out of the three seats they contested.
The BJP leadership had urged Kumaraswamy to contest in one of the seats, in hopes that it would give momentum to the party's prospects in the other two seats. This alliance was particularly significant in the old Mysuru region, where the BJP is considered to be relatively weak. By securing two seats, the JD has proven that they are still a force to be reckoned with, especially in the old Mysuru region where they have a strong presence.
This election marked a reversal of roles for the JD party, as they had previously formed a coalition government with the Congress and contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections together. However, they were unsuccessful, only winning one seat each out of the total 28. The alliance between the BJP and JD proved to be successful due to effective coordination and understanding among their workers.
A strong performance in this election was crucial for the JD party to show that they still hold influence over the old Mysuru region and the dominant Vokkaliga community, who had largely shifted their support towards the Congress in the last Assembly polls. A senior JD leader explained that the BJP's organizational strength and resources, along with their ability to transfer votes, played a significant role in their success. The possibility of Kumaraswamy becoming the Agriculture Minister in the BJP-led NDA government, if re-elected, also contributed to the party's advantage.
Kumaraswamy also accused the Congress of attempting to destroy the JD party in the state, but the people of the old Mysuru region stood strong in their support for the party. He stated, "There were attempts to destroy us, but the voters of the old Mysuru region have shown their support for us. The Congress tried to tarnish our image when we formed the coalition, but the people have given them a fitting response." He also pointed out that the BJP and JD are natural allies, and the people of the state have accepted this alliance.
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