No 'direct' impact on Karnataka polls due to UP results: Parties

The Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha bypoll results will have no "direct" bearing on the coming assembly polls in Karnataka where the electoral dynamics is different, say political parties.

Wilting under the combined onslaught of the SP-BSP, the BJP suffered an embarrassing electoral reverse, losing the Gorakhpur seat which Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had retained for five terms, and the Phulpur seat.

The Congress, the BJP and the JDS are expected to be locked in a triangular contest in the Karnataka polls.

The JDS, led by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, however, sees in the UP and Bihar results a hope for resurgence of regional parties, maintaining it was a rejection of both the national parties -- the Congress and the BJP.

Political analyst Sandeep Shastri said the bypoll results would not have any impact on the Karnataka elections as the fight would be directly between the BJP and the Congress.

The Karnataka BJP had planned to use Yogi Adityanath as its star campaigner for the elections. He has already toured the state thrice in the run-up to the elections.

"Perhaps Yogi Adityanath should spend less time lecturing Karnataka on development," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said in a sarcastic tweet following the UP reversal for the BJP.

During Adityanath's visits, both he and Siddaramaiah had engaged in a Twitter and verbal duel, mocking at each other on the issue of development and governance.

"By-election results will not have any direct impact on Karnataka elections, apart from the fact that claims like the BJP is unstoppable or invincible... Nobody will be able to face up to them; to that extent it has been demolished," state Congress working president Dinesh Gundu Rao said.

On forming an anti-BJP front in Karnataka with JDS to keep the saffron party out of power as done by the SP and the BSP, Rao said, "Post poll what happens we can't say..."
According to the BJP's chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa, "In the arena of opportunistic politics, sworn enemiesbecame allies."
"What is the situation of the Congress in by-elections, it is zero... in Tripura and other places where elections were held, the Congress was out... the Congress doesn't have address."
On the Congress and the JDS joining hands to keep the BJP out of power, he said "They will not join, thanks to Siddaramaiah."