It was reported that, despite Modi’s personal appearance as the Indian People’s Party (DPP) and his participation in numerous election rallies a week before the ballot, the Grand Party (NCP) won an overwhelming advantage in the elections, taking over 135 of the 224 seats of the local council. By contrast, the Indian People’s Party received only 66 seats, less than half of the total number of seats in the National Party.

Interception of the website of the Electoral Commission of India

Karnataka, located in southern India, has a population of over 60 million, and Bangalore, the capital, is one of India’s centres for heavy industry and information technology industries. In recent years, the state has experienced significant changes in its political ecology, with the Indian Party and the Great Party taking the lead on a rotational basis. In 2008, the Indian Party received 110 seats in Kanatak State and formed the Government for the first time in that State with the support of an independent parliamentarian.

In the Karnataka elections in 2018, the Indian Party won 104 seats, but the Union of the Grand Party and the Karnataka People’s Party (the secular party) took over half of the seats and was able to form the Government together. However, the ruling coalition had been in crisis for only 14 months, and more than 10 parliamentarians had been transferred to the Indian Party to help the party regain its governing position in Karnataka.

The Indian Express stated that, as the Indian Party gradually expanded its influence in Karnataka, they had viewed the state as an important “port” for southern Indian states. However, the results of this year’s elections proved that Kanatka is far from becoming a “political bastion” in the imagination of the Indian Party.

On 9 May local time, Indian election officials gathered electronic polling machines in Karnataka from visual China

Al-Jazeera pointed out that the controversial social policy was an important cause of the loss of the Indian party. Although Muslims account for 13 per cent of the total population of Karnataka, the Indian Party, which advocated “the Hindu identity”, introduced a series of laws against Muslims during its administration, which led to frequent harassment and attacks against local Muslims.

The continuing rise in prices and growing corruption are also a source of discontent among voters. According to the Hindu newspaper, the consumer price index of the Karnataka Government showed that from 2018 to 2022, prices in the State increased by at least 21.2 per cent. It was revealed that real price growth was much higher than that figure because of deficiencies in the State’s statistical methods.

In addition, the Indian Express analysis states that, as one of the most severely restricted areas of the caste system in India’s history, Karnataka voters lacked interest in the “industry identity” politics pursued by the Indian Party. They prefer the concept of “social justice” and thus give greater recognition to the social welfare commitments and secularism of the Great Party.

The Indian newspaper Caste states that, after winning the state of Karnataka, the Grand Party will exercise direct control over four of the country’s 28 states and will form a coalition government with three other parties. The Indian Party, for its part, has lost the only state in power in southern India and currently controls 14 states directly or indirectly.

In India’s view, the results of the elections in Karnataka have proved that the current Great Party is the only party in India capable of competing with the Indian Party at the national level and that this victory will undoubtedly enhance the confidence of the Grand Party and may affect the Indian elections next year. However, in the light of past election results, the “cradle” of Karnataka is not enough to drive next year’s parliamentary elections, and the Indian Party is still in the process of leading the entire national reconciliation.

The Indian Express stated that, with its control over northern and western India, the Indian Party still has the capacity to obtain a majority in Congress. Of the 543 seats in the Indian House of Peoples (the lower chamber of Parliament), only 130 are elected by the states of southern India. Of the 303 seats held by the Indian Party, only 30 are from southern India.