MYSURU: The Hanuman flag row at Keragodu village in Mandya district has helped JDS and BJP leaders find that glue that can bind its cadres to take on the Congress government together ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Bringing down the Hanuman flag from a 108-ft flag post which was hoisted to mark the inauguration of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for BJP and its new ally, whose cadres hit the streets wearing saffron shawls.
In the showdown between ruling Congress on one side and BJP-JDS cadres and Keragodu villagers on the other, BJP has been getting the kind of political traction that it had not been able to achieve over the last few decades in Mandya district. JDS workers have literally discarded the traditional green shawl and chosen saffron stoles.
The development has stunned many as BJP and JDS fought the previous Lok Sabha and recently held assembly elections tooth and nail. Now, the leaders and cadres of both parties are sharing the dais and holding protests together to attack their common political foe, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The saffron surge in Mandya in combination with JDS state president HD Kumaraswamy’s strong rural base will make it extremely difficult for Congress to win the Lok Sabha election here. The transformation of the region has been stark as just a few months ago, the Grand Old Party had swept the Assembly polls, winning 10 out of 11 seats in the district. This would also pose a fresh challenge to Siddaramaiah.
BJP-JDS leaders, sensing the mood of the people, have been harvesting rich political dividends by extending the stir across the state. They have also threatened to hoist saffron flags at every household, daring the government to act against Ram bhakts, further polarising voters in the region.
The sudden political manna has helped Kumaraswamy too to send out a strong message to his party cadres to work with BJP workers.