Modi's BJP Loses Control of Karnataka State to Congress Party

India's opposition Congress party won control of the southern Karnataka state from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party.
The results of the Karnataka election are expected to energize the opposition ahead of next year's general election in India.
The defeat means Modi's party has lost the only southern state it has ever controlled.
The Congress party campaigned on local issues like farmer distress and joblessness to win over voters.
The Karnataka election is the first of five state polls this year that will indicate voter sentiment ahead of the 2024 national elections.