After Karnataka Govt Falls, Congress Left in Power in 4 States and 1 Union Territory

The collapse of its coalition government in Karnataka on Tuesday has left the Congress in power in just four states and one Union territory. Karnataka had been the only southern state where the party was in government.

The trust vote

The Congress-JD(S) government fell when the Assembly rejected Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s confidence motion, with 99 votes for it and 105 against. The result ended Kumaraswamy’s troubled 14-month tenure and a three-week power struggle set off by a wave of resignations by rebel legislators.

The Congress accused the BJP of carrying out “one of the most heinous” episodes of horse-trading the country had seen and announced nationwide protests against what it called “immoral political destabilisation”. The party has earlier accused the BJP of “stealing mandate” in Goa and Manipur, where the Congress emerged as the single largest party but could not form a government.

Where the Congress stands

The Congress now governs Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry, while the BJP is in power in 16 states. After winning only 52 seats in the Lok Sabha election, the party had been counting on the south for a revival, according to political analysts. In Karnataka, however, the BJP is strong and, with the numbers in its favour, was set to form the next government.

The setback comes as the Congress is already dealing with a leadership crisis. Rahul Gandhi quit as party president at the Congress Working Committee meeting on May 25, and asked that his successor come from outside the Gandhi family, but little progress has been made in finding one.

What happened next

B. S. Yeddyurappa returned as Chief Minister of Karnataka after the Kumaraswamy government fell in July 2019.

See also: Congress | Elections

Originally published on 24 July 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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