LS polls: BJP pins hopes on techies, maverick candidates in Karnataka

In battleground Karnataka, the BJP claims to have an edge over the Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) and the Congress, thanks to its rising popularity among the youth as well as the tech sector.

According to the BJP, the government’s policies around technology and economy have found many takers among the 1 million plus tech employees in Bengaluru. “In the past four years we have gained maximum support from the tech sector in Bengaluru. This would be visible in this year’s election results. The Prime Minister has a major following among people working in the tech sector,” said a senior BJP worker in Bengaluru South.

People on ground and volunteers claim the people have shown affinity to the candidates the BJP has pitched this time around. Banking on a young Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh member, an actress contesting as independent, as well a former Congress minister, the BJP hopes to win key seats in Karnataka. The party hopes to secure the key constituencies of Mandya, Tumkur and Hassan. In Mandya, the BJP is supporting film star Sumalatha Ambareesh who is contesting from the area as an independent. According to local BJP leaders, the actor has a fair chance of winning and backing her would directly hit the JDS as she is pitted against Nikhil Gowda, son of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

In Bengaluru South, the BJP is backing 28-year-old Tejasvi Surya, a high court lawyer and a member of the RSS. In Hassan, BJP’s A Manju, a former Congress minister, takes on Prajwal Gowda, the son of state PWD Minister H D Revanna.

The state witnessed close to 61.94 per cent voter turnout on Thursday. 

While several sporadic clashes took place, the voting was mostly peacefully. However the poll percentage went down compared to 2014 when an estimated 65 per cent of the 50 million-odd voters across Karnataka came out to exercise their right.

Thanks to most of the tech companies either giving half day or full day off as well as the option of work from home, a large number of tech company employees went out to vote.

“Most of our office employees live in the same area. So we all decided to come together,” said Nishant Shroff, who works for a US-based fintech firm.