The results of the Karnataka elections on Saturday have dealt a big blow to the "national dreams" of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.
KCR had supported the JDS (Janata Dal Secular) in the Karnataka Assembly polls. However, the JDS was only able to win less than 20 seats, its worst performance compared to the 2018 Assembly polls when it won 37 seats.
In the 2018 elections, despite winning just 37 seats, JDS chief HD Kumaraswamy was able to become the Chief Minister with the support of the Congress, thanks to a Hung Assembly.
However, this time, the Congress was able to win a clear and absolute majority.
KCR had hoped that the Karnataka voters would once again produce a Hung Assembly, and that the JDS would emerge as the kingmaker, with Kumaraswamy becoming CM again. However, his hopes were shattered.
This was the first Assembly election in Karnataka in which the BRS extended moral and financial support to the JDS, after TRS was renamed as BRS in October last year.
BRS leaders had even arranged hotel rooms in star hotels in Hyderabad to accommodate JDS MLAs, with the hope that a Hung Assembly would be produced and that Congress and BJP would try to poach JDS MLAs.
BRS leaders had made all the necessary security arrangements to prevent the poaching of JDS MLAs. However, their plans went awry when the Karnataka voters gave a clear mandate in favour of the Congress.
KCR had hoped that if Kumaraswamy became CM in a Hung Assembly, it would help him in Telangana, as the Congress and BJP, which had failed to form a government in Karnataka on their own, would not have any impact on the upcoming Telangana Assembly polls, scheduled for December this year.
