Karnataka BJP projects 115 seats, Vijayendra flags local body poll delays
Synopsis
Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra has wielded a private survey projecting 115 assembly seats to signal momentum, while simultaneously accusing the Congress government of engineering delays in long-overdue local body elections — including six years of unelected governance in Bengaluru — through deliberate confusion over reservation categorisation.
Key Takeaways
BJP Karnataka state president B.Y.
Vijayendra cited a private survey projecting 115 assembly seats for the party on 26 October 2026 .
BJP Karnataka in-charge Harish Dwivedi is scheduled to visit Bengaluru from 2 to 4 November for organisational meetings and district tours.
Vijayendra alleged the Congress government is deliberately creating confusion over reservation categorisation to delay local body polls covering 6,000 Gram Panchayats, 239 Taluk Panchayats , and 31 Zilla Panchayats .
Bengaluru has been without an elected civic body for six years ; the BBMP has been split into five corporations under the GBA with issues still unresolved.
Vijayendra demanded a public apology from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over alleged derogatory remarks about PM Modi made during a Bihar speech.
The next Karnataka Assembly election is expected by May 2028 for all 224 seats .
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka state president B.Y. Vijayendra on Monday, 26 October 2026, claimed a private survey had projected 115 seats for the party in the next Karnataka Legislative Assembly election, asserting that a favourable political atmosphere was building for the BJP across the state. The remarks came during a media interaction at the BJP state headquarters in Bengaluru.
BJP readiness and upcoming organisational activities
Vijayendra announced that BJP Karnataka in-charge Harish Dwivedi would visit Bengaluru from 2 to 4 November. On 2 November, a meeting of state office-bearers is scheduled, during which Dwivedi will meet core committee members and senior party leaders. Dwivedi is also set to travel to Kolar and Chitradurga districts to strengthen the party's grassroots organisation.
Vijayendra declared that the BJP was fully prepared to contest the upcoming local body polls, which cover around 6,000 Gram Panchayats, 239 Taluk Panchayats, 31 Zilla Panchayats, and five corporations of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). Mahanagara Palike polls are also pending in Mysuru, Davanagere, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, and Tumakuru.
Allegations of deliberate delay in local polls
The BJP state chief accused the Congress-led state government of lacking the political will to conduct elections to district and taluk panchayats. He alleged the government was deliberately creating confusion over reservation categorisation to delay the polls, and expressed suspicion that the confusion was being engineered to facilitate a court stay on the election process.
Notably, Bengaluru has been without an elected civic body for the last six years. The government had divided the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) into five corporations, which are now part of the GBA, though several administrative and legal issues remain unresolved.
Cauvery water dispute and farmers' grievances
Vijayendra also trained his guns on the state government over the Cauvery water issue, alleging that it had failed to protect the interests of farmers in the Cauvery basin amid a severe drought. He further accused the government of inadequately representing Karnataka's position before both the Supreme Court and the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
Vijayendra demands apology from Kharge over Modi remarks
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's alleged derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his father, made during a speech in Bihar, drew sharp criticism from Vijayendra. The BJP leader said the statement reflected the mindset of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the frustration within the party over Modi's continued popularity and his becoming Prime Minister for a third consecutive term. Vijayendra demanded that Kharge tender a public apology for his remarks.
The next Karnataka Legislative Assembly election is expected by May 2028, when all 224 seats of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly will be up for election. With over a year of local body polls and assembly-level positioning ahead, the BJP's internal survey claims and escalating political rhetoric signal that the ground-level campaign has effectively begun.
Point of View
Not a forecast — the BJP is laying psychological groundwork well before the 2028 assembly cycle. The more substantive charge is the local body election delay: Bengaluru going six years without an elected civic body is a democratic deficit that affects millions, and the allegation that reservation confusion is being manufactured to invite a court stay deserves scrutiny beyond party lines. The Cauvery framing adds an emotive agrarian layer timed to drought conditions. What mainstream coverage may underweight is the cumulative governance cost of postponed local democracy — not just for the BJP's electoral calculus, but for urban service delivery and accountability in Karnataka's largest cities.
NationPress
27 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Karnataka BJP chief B.Y. Vijayendra claim about the assembly election?
Vijayendra claimed on 26 October 2026 that a private survey had projected 115 seats for the BJP in the next Karnataka Legislative Assembly election. He said a favourable atmosphere was building for the party across the state, though no details of the survey methodology or agency were disclosed.
Why is the Karnataka government being accused of delaying local body polls?
BJP state president Vijayendra alleged the Congress-led government was deliberately creating confusion over reservation categorisation to delay elections to district and taluk panchayats. He suspected the confusion was engineered to invite a court stay on the poll process. Elections are pending for around 6,000 Gram Panchayats, 239 Taluk Panchayats, 31 Zilla Panchayats, and multiple urban corporations.
How long has Bengaluru been without an elected civic body?
Bengaluru has been without an elected civic body for six years, according to Vijayendra. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was divided into five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), but several administrative and legal issues remain unresolved, further deferring elections.
What did Vijayendra say about Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge?
Vijayendra strongly condemned what he described as derogatory remarks made by Kharge about PM Modi and his father during a speech in Bihar. He called the remarks a reflection of the Congress's frustration over Modi's continued popularity and demanded that Kharge issue a public apology.
When is the next Karnataka Legislative Assembly election?
The next Karnataka Legislative Assembly election is expected to be held by May 2028, covering all 224 seats of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
