The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing a bumpy road ahead in the Chikkamagaluru district, northwest of Mysuru, during the upcoming assembly elections.
In the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP had won four out of five seats in Chikkamagaluru district, except for Sringeri. This year, however, their journey is full of obstacles. BJP leader and Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje takes charge of the party’s management panel in the region.
While the opposition parties put their best foot forward to challenge the BJP, internal disputes may limit their chances of sweeping the district. Former BJP chief HD Thammaiah has joined the Congress, creating a stirjfor the BJP.
The JD(S) has proven to be popular in some parts of the district, including Sringeri and Mudigere. In Chikkamagalur constituency, the BJP faces strong competition from the Congress. A section of workers is striving to field an independent candidate in Mudigere, splitting BJP votes.
Sudhakar S Shetty of the JD(S) is running for Sringeri and may take away some votes from the BJP. YSV Datta, who recently joined the Congress from JD(S), creates a tough competition in Kadur. However, the BJP leaders are still confident that they will win big in the region this time round.
The BJP is one of the most influential and established political parties in India. After taking power at the centre in 2014, it has established an iron grip over politics in India and the Chikkamagaluru district is no exception. Despite the obstacles, it will be up to the BJP to prove that their strength and popularity still stands in Chikkamagaluru district.
 running for Sringeri and YSV Datta of Congress running for Kadur threaten BJP's chances of victory. Nonetheless, the BJP still puts their best foot forward to prove their strength in the region.){kind=link}