Bangalore: Parched lands, dried up tanks and rivers and despair gripped people whose plight has turned miserable due to three successive droughts in Karnataka, stare at the faces of political parties who are seeking their mandate in the coming polls.

The ruling Congress has to counter multiple challenges including its drought management and significant emergence of BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), besides tackling Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), for renewal of mandate to rule the State for the coming five years.

Karnataka, which has second largest rain fed area in the country, is facing the wrath of the nature for the fourth year in succession with 162 taluks out of 176, accounting for 98 per cent of the area, being battered by acute drought following failure of monsoon.

As the rural mass struggle with the drought effects, political parties are making a beeline asking them to vote with their sky-high promises.

Electorate of Karnataka faced a similar situation in 1985 when the State faced the brunt of three consecutive years of drought between 1985-'88 when the erstwhile Janata Dal ruled.

Even as the Opposition parties decry the Congress' alleged poor drought management blaming it for farmer's suicides, Chief Minister S M Krishna has been dismissing the charges maintaining its "drought management is good".

Krishna and some of his Cabinet colleagues have been attacking the Centre for allegedly meting out "step motherly" treatment to the State in extending special assistance and food grains to tackle the drought.

However, the BJP has let loose a barrage of criticisms against the ruling party for its alleged failure to utilise food grains allotted by the Centre, which Krishna has rebutted in strong terms.

The pre-election scenario in Karnataka presents unprecedented scale of desertion of leaders to join other parties and the so called political polarisation process ensured a debilitating blow to All India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD), now transformed into JD-U (Janata Dal-United). The Congress and JDS turned out to be major beneficiaries of party hopping, as at least 11 AIPJD leaders took shelter in Congress, nine others went to JDS and few more to BJP out of the 19 MLAs (Member of Legislative Assembly) elected on JDU symbol in 1999.

The desertion of AIPJD by its MLAs was apparently solely prompted by the failure of the Janata Parivar leaders to unite and face the coming poll, which they say compelled them to look for better prospects elsewhere.

However, in the case of former Chief Minister S Bangarappa, who quit Congress and joined BJP, the reason attributed by him was that Congress marginalised him and never entrusted him with any responsibility.

The exit of Bangarappa was certainly severe set back to the ruling party, but the Congress plays it down saying it would have no impact on its poll fortunes.

Though the Congress has been trying to sell the argument that Bangarappa was not as strong as before, the prominent backward class leader's influence in some pockets particularly in his home district Shimoga cannot be undermined so easily.

Unlike earlier desertions by Bangarappa, this time there was no exodus of his followers to BJP along with him, a factor that has come as a consolation to the Congress.

The 'aya rams' and 'gaya rams' have contributed their share of confusion in all the parties, as the new comers have to face the wrath of loyal local leaders.

In this fluid political situation, the Congress is facing a daunting task of retaining power, and the BJP has making been making severe bid to taste power for the first time.

Even as some leaders in Congress were against advancing Assembly polls in the State, Krishna opted for advance polls eight months ahead of the expiry of the Assembly term.

The basic factor that apparently drove Krishna to synchronise Assembly elections with Lok Sabha polls was the disunited Opposition parties, particularly the confusion that ruled the roost in Janata Parivar over unity moves.

Probably Krishna calculated that with BJP not in a strong position and the Janata Parivar parties in disarray, people would prefer Congress in the absence of political alternative.

BJP sprang its first surprise to Congress when it managed to lure Bangarappa and his son Kumar Bangarappa who has however now done a somersault and decided to quit BJP within three weeks after following in the footsteps of his father.