BENGALURU: With the campaign turning intense for the 14 Lok Sabha seats in North Karnataka that are going to the polls on May 7, BJP has been trying to woo a portion of Backward Classes and Dalit votes, which Congress is trying to consolidate, besides minority votes.
The BJP that swept the entire North Karnataka in 2019 is pinning hopes on the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community continuing to support it, with former CM BS Yediyurappa’s son BY Vijayendra being the party state president. Then, of course, it banks on the ‘Modi wave’. But the party lacks prominent faces from Backward Classes and Dalits that can draw votes.
Former minister KS Eshwarappa, a Kuruba, has rebelled and is contesting as an independent from Shivamogga. ST Nayaka leader and former minister B Sriramulu is running from Ballari. Their services could have otherwise been used by the party, political analysts said. That is why the party is experimenting with former minister Byrati Basavaraj, a Kuruba, among others.
“In Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, Yediyurappa and HD Deve Gowda are undisputed community leaders. Since the last Assembly polls, DyCM DK Shivakumar has emerged as the prominent Vokkaliga leader in Old Mysuru. That is the reason BJP and JDS forged an alliance for the Lok Sabha polls,” said a political analyst.
Siddaramaiah has been campaigning extensively in North Karnataka to garner AHINDA votes. In places like Kalaburagi, the Koli aka Kabbaliga community seems to be tilted towards Congress as their leaders, like Baburao Chinchansur, are back in the good books of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge. Both Congress and BJP are holding Koli community rallies, in which they are likely to address the issue of ST tag for the community.
Besides AHINDA votes, Congress also hopes that Veerashaiva-Lingayats too back party candidates who hail from the community. Congress has tactfully fielded candidates from subsects within the community that have sizable votes. For instance, Mrinal Hebbalkar and Samyukta Patil, who hail from Panchamasali subsect, are contesting from Belagavi and Bagalkot seats, respectively.
Ananda Gaddadevaramutt, who is from the Jangama subsect, is contesting from Haveri. Former DCM Laxman Savadi, a Ganiga Lingayat, has campaigned aggressively in North Karnataka, including Kalaburagi, where Kharge’s son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani is the Congress candidate.