The Congress has a distinct advantage in the... ... Karnataka Assembly Election Results 2023 Live Updates: Congress leading in most seats of polarised Karnataka district

The Congress has a distinct advantage in the current situation, but the BJP remains hopeful of avoiding a humiliating defeat in a state where its state unit had to confront anti-incumbency, lack of unity, and weak leadership throughout the campaign.

Although the BJP initially faced challenges regarding ticket distribution, campaign leadership, and the key issues to focus on, which led to confusion among both leaders and party members, it tried to center its campaign on the development agenda and its performance record. However, as the party fell behind early in the vote counting process, it gradually shifted its focus to the Hindutva ideology, particularly after the Congress mentioned Bajrang Dal in its manifesto. A state BJP leader admitted, "We realized that the Hindutva approach wouldn't be effective in Karnataka, but we veered off track."