With the Karnataka assembly elections set to be held on May 12, the political battle shifts from the east (three North-Eastern states went to the polls in February) and north (by-polls were held in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in March) to the south.<br />But it is not just the shift in geography which makes the battle for the southern state important. It is a battle which will, in many ways, determine the political balance of power in 2019.<br />Here is why Karnataka matters.<br />For the Congress, this is almost an existential battle. The party has been reduced to power in only three states — Punjab, Mizoram and Karnataka. A loss could erode Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s credibility. It could devastate the cadre and leave them with a sense that 2019 is a lost cause. It will leave the party without power in the South (barring Puducherry) — which remains the final unconquered bastion for the BJP.<br />
