The BJP's candidate selection and handling of internal dissent resulted in the party losing eight Lok Sabha seats it had held for five years. The party lost all five seats in Kalyana Karnataka, as well as in Davangere, Chikkodi, and Chamarajanagar. Despite warnings from key leaders in Bidar, the state BJP unit fielded Bhagawant Khuba.
In Davangere, objections to G M Siddeshwara's candidacy were raised by former MLA M P Renukacharya, Ravindra, and others, but the party still chose to nominate Siddeshwara's wife. In Chikkodi, the party couldn't quell the rebellion led by former MP Ramesh Katti. Additionally, the Jarkiholi brothers, Ramesh and Balachandra, did not actively campaign for Annasaheb Jolle. The absence of influential leaders like Prabhakar Kore further harmed the party's prospects. Similar dissent was observed in Raichur and Koppal.
In Gulbarga, AICC president M Mallikarjun Kharge's speech, along with anti-incumbency sentiments against BJP MP Umesh Jadhav, led to the Congress reclaiming its stronghold. In Chamarajanagar, the party disregarded the late BJP MP V Srinivas Prasad's request for a ticket for his son-in-law, opting for a lesser-known candidate instead.
Despite Prasad's influence and his reconciliation with Siddaramaiah before the polls, his absence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally hinted at dissatisfaction among his supporters.