The defeat in Karnataka has far-reaching implications for BJP. As it is bound to put a halt to its southern sojourn, the saffron party will certainly face roadblocks in its way to capture power in Telangana.

Among the southern states, it is Telangana where Assembly elections are due in December this year and the BJP, which is still suffering from organisational weaknesses, particularly in interior areas, have been looking to poach powerful leaders from other parties, particularly the Congress to contest from all the 119 seats in the state.

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The party had set a model with Munugode byelection though it had lost. The disastrous loss in Karnataka may prove a deterrent to leaders looking to jump ship opting for BJP. No wonder both the Telangana Congress and the BRS seem to be buoyed by today’s results.

The beleaguered Telangana Congress, which was being pushed into a corner as much by the BJP due to infighting, celebrated the Congress win in Karnataka with much fanfare at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad with PCC president A Revanth Reddy joining in along with AICC in charge Manikrao Thakre.

The Karnataka victory prompted Reddy to claim that the Congress will come to power in Telangana with a clear majority in the assembly elections. He said in Karnataka, the voters rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi by defeating his BJP and by extension rejected Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao by rejecting the JDS.

“No stopping for Congress. Yesterday it was Himachal Pradesh, today it’s Karnataka, tomorrow it will be Telangana,” said the Congress MP.

However, the BRS, which seems to be excited by the decimation of BJP at the hands of the Congress, was quick to offer a rebuttal to Revanth Reddy’s claim. BRS working president KT Rama Rao, who is away in the UK, took to Twitter to refute Reddy’s prediction.

“Just the way The Kerala Story failed to amuse people of Karnataka, similarly, Karnataka election results will have no bearing on Telangana,” said Rao.

Nevertheless he went on to appreciate the mandate of the people saying, “Thanks to the people of Karnataka for rejecting ugly and divisive politics. Let Hyderabad and Bengaluru compete healthily for investments and creating infrastructure for the greater good of India. My best wishes to the new Congress government in Karnataka.”

The glee of the BRS is not without reason at a time when the BJP has been breathing down its neck. The party even held its national executive meet in the state last year and its leaders fanned out in the districts to boost its chances on the ground. For a brief period, the BRS even assured all support to the JDS and proclaimed HD Kumaraswamy as next chief minister. But BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao, who has his ear to the ground when it comes to political goings-on across the country, did nothing to upset the applecart of the Congress even as the state elections are drawing closer.

Rao neither visited North Karnataka, nor did his party men campaign for the JDS as he realised that Kumaraswamy may negotiate with BJP after falling short of a few seats. It is willing to take on a resurgent Congress if it means BJP would be considerably weakened in Telangana.