View: Things go South for BJP as its ‘all states, one campaign’ strategy falls short in Karnataka

Most political observers outside Karnataka want to know what this election means for future elections. For the last 40 years, Karnataka state elections have not predicted national outcomes. Voters habitually distinguish between a regional and a national contest, and vote accordingly. Although BJP has now lost four of the last five elections in Karnataka, it has always performed better so far in the state in the following general election.