After losing Karnataka by a margin of 8 seats, the BJP is still looking at various options to make a come back. Just with the loss of Karnataka, one cannot write off Modi as yet. He is still ruling around 70 percent of the population but in all, if you take the statistics across India he is getting around 35 percent of the vote.
This has to go up if the Modi Shah Jodi wants to make a come back in 2019. They have lost most of the seats in Karnataka with just a margin of around 2000 votes. Modi did his level but in the end, the could not run the last lap properly and were unable to hit the tape in time to become number one.
For the BJP and Modi, all is not lost. Those who discount the Modi effect do it at their peril. He remains a very potent campaigner and can lift the party and its votes considerably.
The BJP has five months to throw more goodies at the electorate including the universal medical policy before the main tournament begins in Central India in November.
But for the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi the Congress chief it is a great morale booster. The Congress has given away the CM post to Gowda to stall the winning process of the BJP.
The process of unity the opposition is gaining strength under the Congress. They will take it forward from 23rd when Gowda will be taking oath as the CM of Karnataka. Gowda has agreed to give 20 cabinet berths to the Congress for giving him the CMs post. This is nothing but opportunism.
But still, the Congress and the opposition has a long way to go.
U.Srinivas
Editor
