ABSTRACT
Karnataka was an outlier among the southern states like Punjab in the north as it was the only state where the BJP did well in the Deccan peninsula. The BJP's unprecedented success in the state could be attributed to the fact that the Congress-JD (S) alliance did not have the whole-hearted approval of the leaders and workers of the two parties. Besides the old rivalry between the Gowda family and the Congress strong man Siddaramaiah, what also came in the way of smooth working of the alliance was the two parties having the support base in the same Old Mysore region. By coming together, the author argues, the two parties gave an opportunity to the BJP to make inroads in their traditional areas of electoral influence. Along with the Modi factor, popularity of the dominant caste Lingayat leader Yeddyurappa also helped the BJP, especially in the north Karnataka region.
