MYSURU: Continuing with its social engineering project, BJP on Tuesday picked candidates for the Legislative Council polls aiming to expand its base across the caste spectrum. With a greater representation for OBCs and Dalits, BJP has delivered a sucker punch to Congress this time. It has also silenced its detractors, especially those who were eager to attack the party if it had announced the candidature of BY Viyendra, pointing to BJP’s own version of dynasty politics.
The choice of MLC poll candidates may take the sting out of Congress’ criticism against BJP that it is anti-Dalit, anti-deprived classes and a party of upper castes and Sanghis. BJP has inducted over 40 ministers from these sections in the Union Cabinet and has also tried and succeeded using the social engineering formula in Uttar Pradesh.
Ahead of the selection of candidates for the MLC polls, several names were doing the rounds, including that of Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani. The party has picked Chalavadi Narayanaswamy from SC (right) as the community had no representation in the Council after Veeraiah, Hemalatha Nayak from the ST community and S Keshava Prasad from the Kuruvina Shetty community that has no political representation.
From the majority Lingayat community, it has chosen Laxman Savadi with the hope that he could influence some pockets in North Karnataka as he has done good work in the cooperative sector. Narayanswamy, once a staunch follower of Mallikarjun Kharge and had served Congress for years, fell out after he was denied a ticket to contest Assembly polls. BJP has rewarded him for bringing Dalits into the party fold.
Hemalatha’s choice is a surprise and the nod has come because of her efforts to actively organise the party in the region. R Raghu from the washermen community had lost the local body polls recently, while Shantharam Siddi will represent the Siddi community. BJP General Secretary Siddaraju said the party wanted to take all sections of society along in building the nation. “For ages, Congress has used these communities as vote banks and not considered them in sharing power,” he added.
Congress is fielding Nagaraj Yadav and Abdul Jabbar from the OBC and minority community, respectively, instead of preferring business tycoons or members of dominant political families. KPCC spokesman M Lakshman said Congress is committed to social justice and if the party had more seats, it would have chosen someone from the upper castes too. But party insiders said the BJP’s recent decisions have made people from SC/ST and OBCs to rethink their support as many neglected communities are being recognised.