Confessions of an Optimist turned Pessimist!

The 15^th Loksabha election results have surprised one and all. The results suggest a clear mandate in favour of the Congress and the UPA. There are many theories which explain this turnaround by the Congress and the UPA.

The 15^th Loksabha elections were mainly fought on issues like security and stability. The voters have made their choice and have elected a government, though a coalition, that would provide them with security and stability. This, in general, is the trend in most parts of the country.

Coming down to Karnataka, however, the situation is different. The state has witnessed frequent incidents of communal disturbances particularly after the BJP was voted to power. This being the situation, there was a high likelihood of BJP biting the dust for its role, either tacit or explicit, in supporting its various outfits that sought to vitiate the communal harmony in the state.

Unfortunately, the results don’t reflect a rejection of the so called ‘communal’ party. Again, there are many theories to explain this trend. As per one theory, it is not that the majority of people voted for BJP but the majority of people voted for different secular parties/candidates and it was this split of secular votes that brought victory to the BJP.

While it may be true that in some constituencies (Bangalore and Mangalore) the floating population would have contributed to this swing in favour of BJP, but what about other constituencies where there is less likelihood of the presence of outside population (Chikkodi and Chitradurga)?

The theories apart, what is in store for the people of Karnataka now that 19 seats have gone the saffron way? Would some districts like Mangalore, Udupi, Chikmaglore, Davanagere and Hubli have a repeat of communal incidents? Would the BJP resort to hard core hindutva strategies and further malign the secular atmosphere in this state?

If instead, the BJP reinvents itself and works more aggressively on its promises of better governance and inclusive development???

Would this be a reality? When? 

Would I be a pessimist turned optimist? When?