More worrying for Congress though is the rise of SDPI, the political wing of Popular Front of India. It is gradually eating into Congress's minority votebank. "There is no doubt SDPI will impact Congress since there will be a split in the minority vote. This explains the soft Hindutva that Congress is pushing. Other parts of the country have seen a majority consolidation leading to a minority consolidation, but in coastal Karnataka, Congress seems to be caught between the two," said a political analyst.

(With inputs from agencies)