Yeddyurappa’s dominance over Lingayats seems to be waning, Congress is trying to woo the community
Yeddyurappa’s dominance over Lingayats seems to be waning, Congress is trying to woo the community
The Veerashaiva-Lingayat caste story has resurfaced in Karnataka politics, as the ruling BJP and the main opposition party, the Congress, battle it out for this crucial vote bank nearly eight months ahead of the assembly elections.
Earlier this month, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reaches Murugha Math, a prominent Lingayat monastery in central Karnataka, where he took ‘Linga Dharana’ initiation. soon afterward, BJP inducts Lingayat leader and former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa In the party’s parliamentary board and central election committee. The promotion of the 79-year-old to two key panels is being seen as an attempt by the party to pacify the hurt pride of the Lingayat leader when he was forced to step down as chief minister. A few days later, former chief minister and leader of the opposition, Siddaramaiah, who has been accused of trying to divide the community by supporting a movement for a separate religion status in 2017, went to the Rambhapuri Math, another prominent religious institution. met the saint. It is believed that he told the seer about the sequence of events that led to that movement. KPCC campaign committee chief MB Patil is also making rounds of the state visiting Lingayat monasteries.
The Congress’ attempt to bring back Lingayat voters comes at a time when Mr Yeddyurappa’s influence on the community seems to be waning. Observers of Lingayat politics believe that the community stood by him in the past because he had a chance to become the chief minister, which will not happen in the next election.
In a scenario where Lingayat voters are looking for an alternative, the Congress believes it is the best option, given that the JD(S) is regarded as the party of Vokkaligas. The Congress is said to believe that riding on a combination of votes of minorities, backward classes, especially Kuruba and Lingayats, who have the support of Scheduled Castes (SC), it is best to return to power. There will be a bet. However, it is yet to fight with the JD(S) for Vokkaliga votes in South Karnataka, despite Vokkaliga DK Shivakumar leading the KPCC.
For parties, politically conscious Lingayats are important as an average of 60 Veerashaiva-Lingayats have been elected to the 224-member assembly since 2008. Community leaders believe that their political clout had diminished after 2008 when about eight constituencies withdrew. Till then only Lingayat MLAs were included in other constituencies and around 22 such constituencies were reserved for SCs and STs in the delimitation exercise. Earlier, on an average, 70 MLAs were being elected to the Assembly. Lingayat support is being considered decisive even in reserved constituencies. Even in the battle for Vokkaliga votes in South Karnataka, Lingayats are considered decisive in several constituencies of Chamarajanagar, Mysore, Hassan and Tumakuru. Except in 2013, when Mr Yediyurappa broke away from the BJP to form the Karnataka Janata Paksha, more than 50% of the total Lingayat MLAs elected to the assembly belonged to the BJP since 2004.
Already battling the anti-incumbency factor with allegations of corruption and weak governance, the BJP government is confused over the demand for 2A reservation status and inclusion of all Lingayat sub-sects by Panchamasalis, a powerful Lingayat sub-sect. in the central OBC list. Observers also believe that the fact that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, a Lingayat, succeeded Mr Yediyurappa, has not completely satisfied the community. With the parties already in electoral mode, Lingayat politics could be as important as in 2013 and 2018.
sharath.srivatsa@thehindu.co.in