BELAGAVI: With several top Lingayat BJP leaders deciding not to contest the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections or quitting the party for not getting a ticket, the saffron party's prospects in the Kittur Karnataka region is likely to take a beating in the polls.
It all started with former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, a Lingayat strongman, deciding to quit electoral politics. This was followed by MLC Laxman Savadi, who quit the BJP after he was denied a party ticket from Athani.
The list also includes Ramdurg MLA Mahadevappa Yadwad, noted leaders from Badami constituency MK Pattanshetty and Mahantesh Mamadapur and former minister Appu Pattanshetty. The latest to quit the BJP include former CM Jagadish Shettar and Koppal MP Sanganna Karadi.
Most of these Lingayat leaders, irrespective of their age, are not merely capable of winning the polls, but also have the ability to handle top positions in the party and government.
Citing age as a factor, Yediyurappa was made to quit as Chief Minister and Basavaraj Bommai made it to the top post. When Savadi was appointed as the Deputy CM in Yediyurappa Cabinet despite losing the Assembly polls from Athani, the decision of the BJP high command stunned many insiders and envied senior party legislators.
At a time when the party decided to replace Yediyurappa as CM, Savadi had emerged as a potential leader for the top post. However, the party's decision to dump Savadi by allotting a party ticket to his political rival Mahesh Kumathalli from Athani came as a shock to him forcing him to end his relationship with the BJP overnight. Undeterred by the snub, an ambitious Savadi is looking forward to stretching his political career longer by joining the Congress.
According to political experts, the impact of his shift to Congress from BJP will be felt in several constituencies, particularly in Athani, Kagwad, Sindagi, Basavan Bagewadi and many other Lingayat majority constituencies in Kittur Karnataka and Kalyana Karnataka.
Shettar would have registered a cakewalk victory from the Hubballi Central constituency which he represents but the party denied a ticket to him. His exit from the saffron party will have ramifications that could have an impact on the party's prospects in some Lingayat-dominated constituencies in the Dharwad district.
In the current group of Lingayat BJP leaders in the state, Shettar is one of the fit candidates for the CM's post other than Savadi in the event of BJP coming to power, feel Shettar's supporters.
Former minister Appu Pattanshetty from Vijayapura and three-time former MLA MK Pattanshetty from Badami should have been allotted tickets given their ability to win the seats based on their popularity in the Lingayat community. Yadwad would also have won the seat easily in Ramdurg but the party replaced him with Chikka Revanna.
One will have to wait and watch as to how the BJP will be able to consolidate Lingayat votes in the upcoming polls after this exodus of Lingayat leaders.