BENGALURU: With cadre defining party strength, the era of the regional satrap seems to be nearing its end. As Karnataka goes to polls on May 10, the season has seen just a sprinkling of local strongmen spearheading campaigns and adding colour to electioneering.
Regional satraps once ruled the roost -- in 2008, BJP was spearheaded by former CM B S Yediyurappa with biggies like B Sriramulu, Laxman Savadi, CM Udasi, among others from different regions and castes, having their own identity beyond the party.
The trend prevailed in 2013, with Yediyurappa floating his own Karnataka Janata Party, and B Sriramulu and the Reddy brothers of Ballari launching the Badavara Shramikara Raithara (BSR) Congress. Yediyurappa returned to the BJP and led the party from the front in 2018, along with other regional leaders within the party. Sriramulu, as an ST Nayaka leader, helped the party by campaigning across the state where the community has considerable votes.
The BJP is now seen to be highly dependent on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as there is a huge demand for his rallies by party candidates. BJP National General Secretary J P Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and others, too, have been campaigning.
“Ours is a cadre-based party and has grown hugely with PM Modi’s charisma,” remarked BJP chief spokesperson M G Mahesh.
“There are no regional leaders in the forefront as far as Congress is concerned. The real campaigning has been done by Siddaramaiah, D K Shivakumar and other Congress leaders. The JDS campaign was led by Kumaraswamy and H D Deve Gowda. The BJP is relying on central leaders. Of course, Yediyurappa is there, but he has retired from electoral politics. Because the state government doesn’t seem to be popular, state-level BJP leaders were not projected much by the party in the campaign. PM Modi seems to be at the centre of the BJP campaign,” analysed psephologist Prof Sandeep Shastri.