Karnataka to go to mid-term elections, says BJP State President BY Vijayendra

BJP state president BY Vijayendra addressing the media at Shivamogga on May 27, 2026. | Photo credit: SK Dinesh

BJP state president BY Vijayendra has said that Karnataka is headed for mid-term elections, irrespective of who replaces Siddaramaiah as chief minister in the ongoing Congress power struggle.

Speaking to the media in Shivamogga on Wednesday (May 27), Mr Vijayendra said the marathon meeting of the Congress high command in Delhi that culminated in Mr Siddaramaiah being ordered to step down was itself an admission of the government’s failure. “This clearly shows that even the Congress high command has recognized that the Siddaramaiah-led government has failed to deliver good governance in Karnataka in the last three years,” he said.

Mr Vijayendra claimed that despite Mr Siddaramaiah’s reputation as a skilled administrator, his tenure had plunged the state into deep debt and was marred by numerous corruption scandals. He dismissed attempts by the Congress party to cite its recent electoral victories as evidence of public support. “The bypoll results are not a yardstick to measure the government’s performance. If they were, Siddaramaiah would not have lost his position,” he said sharply.

Further, Mr. Vijayendra claimed that the Congress party is steadily declining across the country and that no replacement for Mr. Siddaramaiah will be able to arrest this decline. “Even if he takes over as chief minister, the Congress government will not complete its tenure. Mid-term polls are inevitable,” he said.

“Against the People”

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok on Wednesday observed that what Karnataka needs today is not just a change of chief minister but a complete change of the “anti-people Congress government”.

“Since Congress came to power in 2023, governance in Karnataka has become a mirage. Development, welfare of people and farmers and the future of our youth have taken a backseat. The government is consumed by only one question – Who will get the seat?” he said in a post on the social network.

Published – 27 May 2026 17:23 IST