Skip to main content
Donate to the 95 years appeal
What next for left-wing politics after the Congress victory in Karnataka assembly election?
While the defeat of the fascist BJP is welcome, division within the Indian left is holding back progress, writes BHABANI SHANKAR NAYAK
JOY: Supporters of the Congress Party celebrate election results in the Karnataka state elections in Bengaluru, India

THE defeat of BJP-led Hindutva politics in Karnataka state is cause for celebration and hope for India’s secular constitutional democracy. 

The people of Karnataka, in the south-west of the country, rejected divisive and bigoted politics under Narendra Modi’s leadership. His campaign focused on polarisation, while the Congress Party led a positive campaign. 

The Congress Party successfully consolidated its votes and organisation, countering Hindutva propaganda with its five “guarantees” policy. 

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
Chinese-made BYD passenger battery electric vehicles and plu
Features / 12 November 2024
12 November 2024
New tariffs on Chinese electric cars protect European capitalists at European consumers’ and workers’ expense, writes BHABANI SHANKAR NAYAK, showing a continuation of neocolonial trade practices
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Features / 13 September 2024
13 September 2024
The notorious ‘free’ market think tank happily allies with Narendra Modi’s authoritarianism to push a perverse economic ideology that has only ever deepened inequality and poverty worldwide, reports BHABANI SHANKAR NAYAK
OUTRAGE: Engineers and
engineering students
attend a protest
Features / 22 August 2024
22 August 2024
History shows that legal frameworks alone cannot end the scourge of sexual abuse and the struggle against women’s subjugation takes place against a broader context where male interests have been prioritised over generations, writes BHABANI SHANKAR NAYAK
THE MESSAGE IS ON THE PLACARD: University of Birmingham staf
Features / 24 August 2022
24 August 2022
We must question the viability of universities as critical spaces to challenge power for a sustainable future, writes BHABANI SHANKAR NAYAK
Similar stories
Features / 19 April 2025
19 April 2025
As a delegate to the party’s 24th congress, HARSEV BAINS connects historical threads from Harry Pollitt’s 1954 visit to today’s challenges of building left unity against corporate-backed Hindu nationalism
NEPOTISM AND CORRUPTION: Members of opposition Congress part
Features / 13 March 2025
13 March 2025
The CPI(M)’s use of terms like ‘fascistic tendencies’ and ‘neofascism’ rather than labelling the BJP outright as fascist has sparked controversy, but as VIJAY PRASHAD explains, ‘fascism’ is a term that must be used correctly and sparingly
The late Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Y
Features / 19 September 2024
19 September 2024
The leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) rose from campus politics to become a key strategist in building coalitions, shaping India’s politics through skilled negotiation and an unwavering commitment to Marxism
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Features / 13 September 2024
13 September 2024
The notorious ‘free’ market think tank happily allies with Narendra Modi’s authoritarianism to push a perverse economic ideology that has only ever deepened inequality and poverty worldwide, reports BHABANI SHANKAR NAYAK