Karnataka polls: After 1985, ruling party did not get power for second time: Will BJP create history?

Looking back at the political history of the state, after 1985, there are no examples of any party forming the government independently twice in a row. To break this legacy and come to power, BJP has devised a lot of strategies, and if successful, it will create a history of sorts as a party coming to power for the second time in a row in the state after three and a half decades.

Bengaluru:The ruling party has lost all the Assembly elections held in the state since 1989. The party that was in power did not get a chance to get power for the second time in a row. Apart from the Congress winning the first six elections and the Janata Party winning the next two elections, no party has formed an independent government in the state twice in a row. This time, BJP is planning to come to power for the second time breaking this tradition. If BJP succeeds in this, history will be created in state politics.

It has been three and a half decades since the ruling party in the state missed the opportunity to win the re-election. It is special that voter has voted for one or another party at different time. The Congress had been winning consecutively from the first to the sixth assembly. For the first time, Congress lost in the 7th Assembly elections and the Janata Party formed the government. In the 8th assembly election, too, the Janata Party was back in power. But Congress came back to power in the 9th election.

The Janata Dal came to power again in the 10th assembly elections. If Congress won the 11th assembly elections, the 12th assembly elections resulted in a stalemate, and the Congress-JDS and JDS-BJP coalition government was formed. In the 13th assembly elections, the BJP won for the first time in the state. Congress returned to power in the 14th assembly elections. In the 15th assembly elections, the JDS-Congress alliance government was formed again due to instability and then it collapsed and the BJP government was formed.

A political review of four decades: A non-Congress government was formed for the first time in the state in 1983. Janata Parivar leader Ramakrishna Hegde also became the first non-Congress Chief Minister on January 10, 1983. He resigned on the charges of wiretapping and went for re-election. On March 8, 1985, in the 8th assembly election, he again got the mandate and formed the government. But after his resignation, SR Bommai of his party became the Chief Minister from August 13, 1988, to April 21, 1989. Later, as Congress came to power in the newly held elections after the imposition of President's Rule, Virendra Patil assumed office as the CM on November 30, 1989. Bangarappa was made Chief Minister on October 17, 1990, after he was dropped within a year. But, he, too, was dropped within two years and Veerappa Moily was made the CM on November 19, 1992.

Congress lost the next election (10th) and Janata Dal came to power. On December 11, 1994, HD Deve Gowda assumed office as the Chief Minister. On May 31, 1996, after Deve Gowda became the Prime Minister, JH Patel became the Chief Minister. Janata Dal lost the 11th assembly elections and Congress came to power. On October 11, 1999, SM Krishna became the Chief Minister of the state. But, in the election to the 12th Legislative Assembly, no party could get a majority, had set the stage for the formation of a coalition government for the first time.

Dharam Singh of Congress became the Chief Minister on May 28, 2004, as Congress and JDS formed an alliance. But, on February 3, 2006, HD Kumaraswamy of JDS became the Chief Minister due to the fall of the Congress JDS alliance government and the formation of the JDS-BJP alliance government. As per the alliance agreement, BJP was not given the post of CM after 20 months. On November 12, 2007, BS Yeddyurappa assumed office as the Chief Minister. Yeddyurappa resigned saying that JDS was not supporting the government then.

Then the BJP government was formed after the 13th assembly elections. On May 30, 2008, Yeddyurappa took oath as the Chief Minister. But, Yeddyurappa had to resign due to the Lokayukta report. So, on August 5, 2011, DV Sadananda Gowda became the Chief Minister. But, in the changed political events, he also resigned and on July 12, 2012, Jagdish Shettar took over as the CM.

Congress came to power in the 14th Legislative Assembly polls. Siddaramaiah took over as the Chief Minister on May 13, 2013, and ruled for five years. Then in the 15th assembly elections, a stalemate was created again. BJP formed the government as it was the largest party in the elections. Yeddyurappa took oath as the Chief Minister on May 17, 2018. But, he had to resign as he could not prove the majority. Due to this JDS Congress alliance government was formed and HD Kumaraswamy became the Chief Minister of the alliance government on May 23, 2018. But, due to the changed political events, the coalition government collapsed within a year and the BJP government was formed.

Yeddyurappa became the CM on July 26, 2019. As BSY resigned after two years due to changes in the party, Basavaraja Bommai assumed the post of Chief Minister on July 28, 2021. Now the 16th assembly elections have been announced, the voting will be held on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13.

BJP's master plan: Looking back at the political history of the state, after 1985, there are no examples of any party forming the government independently twice in a row. To break this legacy and come to power, BJP has devised a lot of strategies, and if successful, it will create a history of sorts as a party coming to power for the second time in a row in the state after three and a half decades.