Hijab row, Shivamogga violence setting stage for 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls?

With a year left for the Assembly election, the hijab controversy and the Shivamogga violence have become tools to set the political agenda in the state.

Much is at stake for political parties involved as these incidents could tip electoral equations, polarising voters.

The Shivamogga incident where a Bajrang Dal activist was killed has elicited sharp criticism from BJP supporters themselves. Several Hindutva activists have taken to social media to demand why the ruling party, espousing the Hindutva ideology, failed to protect one of its activists.

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BJP leaders who spoke to DH said they were caught off-guard. "The murder taking place in Shivamogga, where our organisation is very strong, is a setback," a party leader said. Unless the government takes action against the culprits immediately, the party cadre will be disillusioned, he worried.

In an attempt to quell discontent, BJP leaders have been quick in issuing statements blaming "radical Islam."

However, this setback is temporary. For, both the Shivamogga incident and the hijab row will help the BJP consolidate its votes ahead of the Assembly polls. "Notice how common citizens are coming forward to pool in funds for Harsha's family. This is nothing but a consolidation of Hindu society. The criticism on social media will fizzle out soon. In the longer run, this will work in BJP's favour," a party source said.

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While college students sporting saffron shawls and protesting in front of their institutions might appear trivial at the outset, this, too, is an advantage BJP. "By wearing saffron shawls, the younger generation is now part of the voter base. These first-time voters will remain with us for the next few decades," the source added.

Meanwhile, the communal polarisation has made Congress wary. With the BJP riding on a highly emotional issue, Congress is hard-pressed to find an alternative narrative. "The only way for Congress is to counter the propaganda by taking the BJP head-on," a Congress leader said. There has to be a deeper reach out programme for this. The Congress also needs to step up its IT infrastructure, a strong asset of the BJP, he added.

A section of the Congress is wary of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) eating into its Muslim vote base.

"It doesn't work that way," Akram Hassan, national media committee member of the SDPI, said. "Unlike Kerala where there are constituencies with 80% Muslims, Karnataka does not have any constituency where a party can bank on votes from only one community. We won't benefit anyway from polarisation."

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