MYSURU: In a strategic move aimed at expanding the BJP support base, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family and BJP candidate for the Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha election, has initiated discussions with minority leaders in the region. This overture is crucial given the historical support that minority communities have extended to Congress.
Wadiyar’s meeting with Christian leaders on Monday highlighted a deliberate effort to appeal to minority voters. Accompanied by BJP leader and former minister SA Ramadas and BJP state minority wing president Dr Anil Thomas, Wadiyar called upon the apostolic administrator of Mysuru diocese, Bernard Moras, and other Christian religious leaders at ‘Sanmargi’ -- the bishop’s house in Bannimantap.
His visit is in continuation with the Wadiyar legacy of fostering coexistence of communities and recognising the contributions of past rulers like Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. This historical commitment of social care without discrimination resonates with Wadiyar’s efforts to connect with minority communities, especially the Christian electorate. However, Yaduveer’s decision to contest from BJP may have posed a hurdle in securing minority votes, particularly from the Congress-loyalist Christian community.
But Yaduveer’s strategic outreach, including his early engagement with Christian religious leaders during the campaign’s second day, signals an effort to broaden the party’s support base. The discussions focused on highlighting the Wadiyars’ association with the community, their contributions to institutions like St Philomena’s cathedral, and the positive reception of minority communities towards the BJP government’s initiatives.