Padayatras Take Centre Stage as Congress, BJP and JD(S) Jostle in Karnataka

Karnataka's political competition is increasingly being fought on the street, with the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP and JD(S) turning to rallies, padayatras and public meetings to mobilise support. The Congress is set to launch its 'Bharat Jodo 2.0' programme on September 30, more than 18 months before the 2028 Assembly elections and at a time when the State is in the grip of a severe drought.

The three parties are not merely taking their campaigns to the people. They are also competing to shape the political narrative, display organisational strength and establish a presence ahead of coming electoral battles, including the rural local body polls due around the year-end.

Recent campaigns and their fallout

Recent agitations have produced tangible political consequences. The BJP's 'Ballari Chalo' campaign preceded the resignation of B. Nagendra from the Cabinet, even before the march got under way. A joint BJP-JD(S) padayatra to Mysuru, focused on the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, was followed by the surrender of sites by Parvathi, wife of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. A padayatra to Bidadi led by JD(S) youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy also appeared to stall progress on the proposed township project.

For the Congress, Bharat Jodo 2.0 is an effort to defend its governance record while expanding its footprint in the 84 constituencies it lost in the 2023 Assembly elections. The march will also give the party a chance to gauge public perceptions of its government, particularly the implementation of its guarantee schemes and other poll promises.

A symbolic starting point

KPCC chief B.K. Hariprasad, who was reportedly upset with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over not being invited to the government's 100-day celebration at the Secretariat, is leading a 10-km padayatra in each of the 84 constituencies. The march will begin in Shikaripura, the constituency represented by BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra and the home turf of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. The choice of starting point carries symbolic weight, taking the Congress into the political territory of a prominent BJP leader.

The Congress is expected to use the march to highlight what it describes as faulty policies of the Centre, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, unemployment, and the alleged "step-motherly" treatment of Karnataka in the allocation of funds for drought relief.

The BJP and JD(S) have questioned the need for a State-wide march by the ruling party when the State is facing severe drought. Both parties have also been using public demonstrations and padayatras to target the Congress government over governance, corruption allegations and what they describe as the State's financial distress.

Sustaining pressure

For the BJP and JD(S), the challenge is to keep pressure on the Congress government while maintaining coordination between the two parties. Their campaigns offer a platform to mobilise supporters and keep allegations against the government in public view.

Siddaramaiah's padayatra in 2010 from Bengaluru to Ballari set the tone for the 2013 Assembly elections and helped bring the party to power. Which party's padayatra sets the tone for the 2028 Assembly elections remains to be seen.