BJP battles low voter turnout, sexual harassment charges against JD(S) leaders

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is concerned by the dip in voter turnout in the first two of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections. The party's brass has cracked the whip on the state units and directed the workers to ensure they intensify outreach and motivate voters to turn out in large numbers.

On the one hand, the party claims there is no anti-incumbency against it and Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains a popular leader. But on the other hand, it is concerned that a dip in the voter turnout could impact its target of winning 400 plus seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha and increasing the vote share to 50%.

Chief ministers of BJP-ruled states have been asked to ensure there is no laxity in outreach and the booth workers are seen on the ground instead of running campaigns on social media. On Sunday, Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the party, wrote on X that the slogan "Aaye ga to Modi hi" runs the risk of making the voters complacent. It said if voters see Modi returning to power as a foregone conclusion, they may not want to show up to vote.

Allegations against JD(S) leaders

Allegations of sexual harassment against Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) leaders, Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna, in Karnataka have put its ally BJP in a bind. They have cast a shadow over the BJP's campaign in the state. Party leaders in the state were tight-lipped about the matter even as the Congress government in Karnataka has set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the veracity of the allegations. The complainant in the matter has alleged that HD Revanna and Prajwal Revanna used to sexually assault women workers.

A series of obscene videos purportedly involving Prajwal Revanna have been circulating. Some of them appeared to depict sexual assault.

Prajwal Revanna, grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, has left the country since the formation of the SIT. He claimed the videos were fake and intended to defame him.

The Opposition is going to town with the complaint against the JD (S) leaders. Compounding the BJP's miseries are the murmurs within the party unit of having overlooked the complaints. BJP leaders from Karnataka's Hassan district had warned the state leadership about allegations and opposed Prajwal Revanna's Lok Sabha candidature from the constituency.

HT reported that BJP leader Devaraje Gowda wrote to the state party chief B Y Vijayendra about the complaints against Prajwal Revanna and sought to bring it to the attention of national leaders and convince them not to align with the family.