The washout in all three Assembly seats that went to the byelections in Karnataka has again exposed the lack of focus by the BJP on strengthening its cadre in the State despite its strategists repeatedly referring to this lacunae. Though it is common for the ruling party to have an advantage in byelections, there had been much curiosity around the three Assembly segments that went to the polls on November 13 as BJP leaders were confident that the issues they had raised ahead of the election — such as alleged irregularities in MUDA involving the Chief Minister and the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation ‘scam’, besides the waqf land row — would have turned the tide in their favour. The BJP had launched Statewide campaigns on them. Little impact from campaigns But the results have shown that neither the BJP nor its ally, the JD(S), could gain significantly from those campaigns. This is being blamed on the party’s failure to strengthen its cadre. It is no secret that BJP top leaders have been concerned …