In the lead-up to the Karnataka Assembly elections, the Gandhi family and the Congress party have chosen a new electoral approach. They have switched their attention away from national issues and towards the urgent difficulties facing the state, such unemployment and inflation. The Congress party wants to forge a deeper relationship with citizens and win their support in the upcoming election by focusing their campaign on regional issues.
Instead than criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demeanour and Hindutva philosophy, the Congress is instead focusing on the BJP government’s alleged corruption, unemployment, and inflation. Five promises are included in the party’s platform, which they believe will appeal to voters. The Congress party wants to engage citizens and win their support in the next elections, therefore they have turned their focus to state-level issues and promises.
Notably, Congressmen like Rahul Gandhi have deliberately avoided bringing up divisive national issues like “Adani-Hindenburg” and “Chinese intrusion,” which they frequently use to criticise the BJP-led administration at the Centre. Instead, they are emphasising Karnataka-specific issues when they campaign there. Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi have done the same, placing the local issues of the state at the forefront of their talks. The crucial issues affecting the people of Karnataka, such inflation and unemployment, have also been the focus of the Congress’ campaign literature and poll commercials.
Despite making an effort to give state-related concerns a priority in its campaign plan, the Congress party made numerous strategic errors that the BJP and PM Modi were quick to capitalise on. For instance, Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Congress, referred to the Prime Minister as a “poisonous snake,” while Priyank Kharge labelled him a “worthless son (nalayak beta).” The People’s Front of India-style “stringent action,” including a ban on Bajrang Dal, was one of the promises made by the Congress party in its manifesto. Despite the fact that Sonia Gandhi avoided mentioning Karnataka’s “sovereignty,” the party’s Twitter team’s translator mistranslated her comments when they were converted from Hindi to English.
During the campaign, the BJP aggressively targeted the Congress party by capitalising on their errors. Even more, PM Modi claimed that the Congress wanted to sever Karnataka from India. The race for the Karnataka Assembly election could be tight with the Congress emphasising local issues and the BJP highlighting the Congress’s political gaffes.
Election voting will be taking place on May 10, and the results will be tallied on May 13.