Testing ground with their alliance of six months, the Congress and Janata Dal Secular have scored a 4:1 win over the BJP in crucial by-elections for three Lok Sabha and two assembly seats in Karnataka. The sweep includes a big upset in Ballari, a BJP stronghold for the last decade and a half. The Congress has called it a “teaser for what is in store for the BJP next year,” in a tweet that celebrated “the sweeping victory of the Congress-JD(S) alliance.” Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said the “coalition has delivered.” This was the first election that the Congress and JD(S) contested as partners.