The BJP rises to rule in Karnataka

BANGALORE: From 18 seats in 1983 to help in the formation of the first non-Congress government in Karnataka, the BJP has steadily grown to capture power on its own riding on a saffron surge in the wake of Ram Janambhoomi movement of the early 90s and aided by similar local issues.
 
Decimating its rivals and making huge inroads into previously unchartered territories in the state, BJP has put up a stunning show 25 years later.
 
BJP expanded its base in the dry, arid Hyderabad-Karnataka and Mumbai-Karnataka regions from where the party had won 65 of the 79 seats in the 2004 elections. It spread its wings further in Bangalore where it has won over half of the 28 seats at stake in the current elections.
  
The trump card for the BJP appeared to be what it called the factor of 'betrayal' by JDS over power transfer and pleas by its leadership to give the party "one chance". These two elements gave a big push to the BJP which had already emerged as the single largest party in the previous elections.
  
The BJP is relishing the fact that it may not have to be part of any coalition arrangement after its bitter experience of sharing power with JDS.
  
The saffron party played a stellar role in installation of the maiden non-Congress government by extending outside support to Janata Party led by late Ramakrishna Hegde in 1983.
  
The seeds of the success story of the saffron party, after reverses in 1985, when it could win only four seats, were sown in 1999 when it won 41 seats. But before that in 1991 elections, fought after the fall of the V P Singh government at the Centre over the Ram Janambhoomi issue the saffron party made its debut in Lok Sabha polls in the state
by winning four seats.
 
From then onwards, BJP not only consolidated and made steady gains, but emerged as the single largest party in 2004 riding on the Vajapyee government's achievements to bag 79 seats.
   
However, BJP's attempts to form the government was brought to naught by JDS, which chose to align with Congress citing its secular credentials in 2004 after the polls threw up a fractured verdict.
   
In a volte face, JDS dumped Congress mid way and aligned with BJP in 2006 to form a coalition government, catapulting the saffron party from the opposition ranks to the ruling benches.
   
JDS refused to honour the power sharing pact it had struck with BJP in 2006 to rule the state for 20 months each and at the end of that period, Devegowda's party refused to honour it.
   
Enraged by the "acts of betrayal" by JDS, BJP took to the streets with a campaign "punish betrayers and save Karnataka".
   
Taken aback by the overwhelming response BJP got for its campaign, JDS returned to the saffron party and pledged unconditional support in November which culminated in Yeddyurappa taking oath as chief minister.
   
But the Yeddyurappa government, which assumed office on November 12, was brought down by JDS on November 19 last.
   
Similarly the growth of BJP in parliament polls since 1994 has also been on the upswing.
    
The saffron party, which won four seats in 1994, took its tally to six in 1996 and to 16 in 1998.
    
In 2004, BJP came up with a stellar performance winning 18 seats out of 28.