BJP’s Lingayata bet stays, with caste net cast wide
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, April 21: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accorded top priority to Lingayata, the largest caste group, in Karnataka in the ticket distribution, while also making strong push for the Vokkaliga constituency. While two prominent Lingayata faces of the BJP, Jagdish Shettar and Laxman Savadi have quit the party, the saffron outfit still has fielded the maximum number of candidates from the community.
The BJP has fielded a total of 68 candidates from the Lingayata community. Congress has fielded 51 Lingayata candidates. The Janata Dal (Secular) has fielded a total of 37 Lingayata nominees in the Karnataka Assembly elections.
With Old Mysuru region emerging as the gateway to power in the state, the BJP has upped the scale with party’s engagement with the Vokkaliga community. The BJP has fielded a total of 42 Vokkaliga candidates. Congress has 43 Vokkaliga nominees in the fray. The Janata Dal (Secular) has fielded 54 Vokkaliga candidates in line with the tradition of the party seen in the previous elections.
The BJP has also fielded 17 candidates from the scheduled castes and 18 from the scheduled tribes. The BJP has also fielded seven Kuruba candidates. Congress has 14 Kuruba nominees, including former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The caste spread in Karnataka shows that the other backward castes with 21 per cent are the largest contiteunts, followed by the SC at 17.1 per cent, Lingayatas with 16.5 per cent, and 13.5 per cent Vokkaliga voters. Muslims have 13.5 per cent vote base in Karnataka. Kuruba accounts for seven per cent vote base followed by four per cent Brahmins and one per cent Jains.
With the OBC vote base set to split, the BJP is seeking to make inroads in the Vokkaliga voters, while making attempts to hold on to the Lingayata strength. The Mutts of Lingayata, Vokkaliga and other castes also hold significant influence in Karnataka, and senior leaders of all the parties are seeking to be in the good books of the seers.
“The Veerashaiva-Lingayata Development Corporation was constituted by the BS Yediyurappa government in Karnataka. This body has been working for the wellbeing and empowerment of the Veerashaiva-Lingayata community. BSY also remains the tallest Lingayata political leader in Karnataka,” said a senior BJP functionary.
Congress is banking on party’s campaign committee chief MB Patil to make inroads in the Lingayata community. Shettar and Savadi are expected to help Patil build bases in the formidable community.
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