Politics of Karnataka

The politics of Karnataka is dominated by three major parties, the Indian National Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Government is a coalition government formed by the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular). The Chief Minister is B. S. Yediyurappa of Bharatiya Janata Party.

In national politics

At the national level, Karnataka consists of 28 parliamentary constituencies from which 28 members of parliament get elected to the Lok Sabha. Several politicians and bureaucrats from Karnataka have served at the center at various times in different capacities. Deve Gowda, who hails from Hassan served as the prime minister. B. D. Jatti from Bijapur served as the Vice President and also as acting President in the past. S.Nigalingappa was Congress I president.

2004 state election

The last elections in Karnataka held in 2004 led to extremely unusual results. For one, no party had enough seats to form a government on its own. Out of a total of 224 seats, the BJP won 79, the Congres 65 and the JD (Secular) 58. The only possibility was a coalition government and the two largest parties were politically not inclined to form a coalition. JD(S) President and former prime minister Deve Gowda decided to partner with the Congress to form a government just to keep the BJP out of the government. The coalition headed by chief minister N Dharam Singh (Congress) and Deputy chief minister Siddharamiah (of JDS) lasted till 2006. Deve Gowda's son HD Kumaraswamy, also of the JDS, brought in a new twist when he garnered support of 46 other ministers and withdrew support from the Congress. Kumaraswamy struck a deal with the opposition party, the right wing BJP, to form an alternate government. The new coalition had HD Kumaraswamy as the Chief Minister and B. S. Yeddyurappa of the BJP as deputy chief minister. Before forming the government, the two parties had entered into an informal power sharing agreement. They would enjoy chief ministership for a period of 20 months each (which would cover the time left for the next elections). This has created a unique situation where a government has been headed by three different political parties with no elections between them.

2008 state election

In 2007, a sudden dispute occurred between HD Kumaraswamy and Yeddyurappa over the abdication of powers which threw the state into emergency and hence under direct Presidential rule. During the elections on 10, 16 and 22 May, the BJP defeated both the local party as well as the Congress making Yeddyurappa the undisputed chief minister of the state. The BJP nearly achieved a majority, and will be leading a state government by itself for the first time in South Indian political history. [

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