In Karnataka, the incumbent rarely wins as control has alternated between Congress and B.J.P. in recent years. Local elections are influenced by caste rivalries and immediate issues of governance, such as corruption. However, local preferences do not necessarily translate to votes for the National Assembly in India’s parliamentary system, which determines who the prime minister is.
Despite rising prices, corruption, and polarizing politics, Mr. Modi’s popularity remains strong in Karnataka. Many voters still express fondness for him personally, even if they voted against his local leaders.
At the national level, the Congress party has struggled to match Mr. Modi’s appeal. Rahul Gandhi, the Congress’s most-recognized leader, built some momentum by taking a long walk across India, covering 2,200 miles over four months. However, the B.J.P. bogged him down in a legal challenge just as he was shedding Mr. Modi’s tag of an entitled dynast and presenting himself as a credible leader.
An old and questionable case of defamation was revived in recent months, and the judge in Mr. Modi’s home state of Gujarat handed Mr. Gandhi the maximum sentence, which disqualified him from his parliamentary seat. Mr. Gandhi’s party has termed the case a political conspiracy akin to match-fixing and has been fighting to keep him out of jail.
Aarti Jerath, a political commentator in New Delhi, said that while the voting patterns in the local elections do not immediately translate to support in national elections, the Congress party will take lessons from its Karnataka victory. The party will focus on empowering local leaders and campaigning on bread-and-butter issues rather than making it a popularity contest against the formidable Mr. Modi.
“This is a big morale booster for Congress — first win in a major state after a string of defeats,” she said.
2023-05-13 20:18:52
Article from www.nytimes.com