BJP’s tricky Lingayat gameplan ahead of Karnataka assembly elections

BELAGAVI, APRIL 23: The powerful Lingayat community in Karnataka, which forms a chunky 20 per cent of the state’s total population, has been steadfastly rallying behind the ruling BJP for over two decades.

The meteoric rise of the saffron party in the state can be attributed to BS Yediyurappa, who has emerged as the undisputed and tallest leader of the dominant Lingayat community. The BJP may not have achieved a majority, but came to power in the state with the strong support of Lingayats, only because of Yediyurappa.

With Yediyurappa signing off from electoral politics, and his eventual retirement from the BJP, it is interesting to see whether the Lingayat community would continue its unwavering support of the BJP in the upcoming elections. After Lingayats were upset with the way Yediyurappa had to step down as chief minister under pressure from the BJP leadership, the party was tentatively able to consolidate its hold by installing Basavaraj Bommai of the same community as chief minister and taking people into confidence.

The BJP was tactful in winning the hearts of Lingayats by initiating some damage-control measures. However, with elections round the corner, the BJP is once again in the eye of a storm for denying election tickets to several Lingayat leaders, mainly former CM Jagadish Shettar and former deputy CM Laxman Savadi.

Despite the BJP trying to turn the denial of tickets to Shettar and Savadi as the party’s strategy to introduce new faces, sections of political parties and leaders called it “an attempt by the BJP to finish off all its potential Lingayat leaders in Karnataka to make way for a non-Lingayat chief minister.’’

Several top leaders from the Lingayat community who have been denied tickets include sitting Ramdurg MLA Mahadevappa Yadwad, leaders from Badami MK Pattanshetty and Mahantesh Mamadapur, and former minister Appu Pattanshetty. Irrespective of their age, not only are most of them still capable of winning the May 10 election, but also have the ability to handle top positions in the party and government.

To avoid a backlash and to take Lingayats into confidence, the party has allotted 67 tickets to community leaders, compared to 41 tickets issued by the JDS and 37 by the Congress, in the coming polls. However, political experts feel the BJP’s attempt to promote second-rung Lingayat leaders by getting rid of top leaders may impact the party’s electoral prospects.

Many political strategists say it will be interesting to see how the BJP fares without Yediyurappa and other Lingayat leaders in the forefront. Some predict the strategy could backfire, while others say it may not have any impact on electoral fortunes.

Impact in Kittur, Kalyan Karnataka

Noted writer and political commentator Basavaraj Itnal says the continued neglect of Lingayats by the BJP will have its impact in Kittur Karnataka and Kalyan Karnataka, where 90 assembly seats are at stake. “We tend to believe that Lingayats are unwaveringly behind the BJP, given its improved performance in the state. But on the ground, the numbers tell a different story. As far as the 2018 election is concerned, seat share may be dramatically in favour of the BJP, and not vote share. The difference in vote share between Congress and BJP was around 4 per cent in the last polls. The political scenario will change drastically even if there is a 1 or 2 per cent swing in vote share, and the BJP may end up losing about 30 to 40 seats.’’

Given the way BJP is unwilling to announce its CM candidate ahead of the May 10 election, it is obvious that the party will not make a Lingayat as CM, said Itnal, adding that the BJP wants to shrug off the “Lingayat strongman control”. When Yediyurappa formed the KJP, the BJP lost. In 2018, when the issue of giving reservations to Lingayats was drummed up by the Congress ahead of assembly elections, the BJP was forced to promote Yediyurappa to counter the opposition. However, the BJP did not throw its weight behind Yediyurappa, and the Congress-JDS formed a coalition government. It was only due to Yediyurappa’s efforts that the BJP government came to power later, observed Itnal.

The sidelining of Lingayat leaders like Yediyurappa, Shettar, Savadi and many others will deal a big blow to the BJP, says noted writer and litterateur Ramjan Darga. “Indian democracy is based on the caste system and personality cult. In Kannada, we can say ‘Jati Prabhutva’ dominates our democratic system and not ‘Praja Prabhutva’. In such a democratic set-up, voters prefer leaders based on their contribution to their respective castes, and the individual help they received from them. Voters are not bothered about the contributions of a leader towards society,” he said.

Given the recent developments in the Karnataka BJP, the top party leadership is bent on finishing off all potential Lingayat leaders in the state, knowing well that second-rung Lingayat leaders will automatically become their (BJP) slaves. “The BJP leadership does not want Lingayats as competitors, this is the reality. But they have failed in their attempts as Lingayats have become aware of their political agenda,’’ observed Darga.

Basically, Lingayats have been supporting BJP not because of its ideology but due to their “opportunism’’. They looked at the Congress as a party of minorities, Dalits and backward classes, and JDS as a party of Vokkaligas, so they rallied behind the BJP. Second-grade leaders who know that mainstream Lingayat leaders are being ignored and have no future in the party, are trying to take control of the community by abusing these leaders.

Won’t affect polls: Seer

Siddarama Swamy of Gadag Tontadarya Mutt, who is also a Lingayat scholar, says the Lingayat factor or switching of sides by BJP’s Lingayat leaders will not impact the coming polls. ‘Aya Ram, Gaya Ram’ type of leaders who switch parties during elections will not make any impact. Such leaders change sides only for political gain, he said.

Commenting on the alleged neglect of Shettar and Savadi by the BJP, the seer said, “We can’t say the BJP neglected them. The party allotted tickets to many Lingayats, and as a political party, BJP will have its own set of principles and rules which it will follow.’’

He said he had no objections to BJP leaders, but said the principles of the BJP are “anti-Lingayat.”

“BJP wants to have one religion and one nation, and claims there is no scope for other religions. The BJP’s ideologies and principles are contrary to the country’s unity in diversity, where people of all faiths are living peacefully. The Constitution will have no value if the concept of ‘one nation, one religion’ exists,’’ he added.

Defending the BJP’s strategy to deny tickets to seniors, he said the chief minister’s post should be given to leaders based on their ability and capacity, and not based on religion or caste. The decision on who should become CM should be left to the elected MLAs.

Contrasting ideologies

Terming the ideologies of BJP and Lingayats as “totally contrasting”, renowned playwright and litterateur Prof D S Chougale said, “leaders of the community who are in the BJP are Lingayats merely by caste, but follow the ideology of the BJP. For such leaders, power is more important than their religion.”

Besides neglecting the able Lingayat leaders in the party, the BJP leadership kept Yediyurappa out of the committee which shortlisted candidates for the May 10 election. The party denied tickets to senior Lingayat leaders and gave them to young leaders to make them fall in line. But Lingayats are now understanding the divide-and-rule agenda of the BJP, he said.

Bommai as chief minister?

Asked whether Basavaraj Bommai is the BJP’s CM candidate, Karnataka BJP in-charge Arun Singh said in Belagavi that Bommai, who was the party’s campaign committee head, had done a great job as CM and maintained the image of a common man. Singh avoided giving a direct answer to the tricky question of Bommai as the CM face of the party. After his exit from the BJP, Jagadish Shettar said he was the senior most Lingayat leader after Yediyurappa in the BJP. Stating that the BJP’s top leadership was not aware of developments in Karnataka ahead of elections, Shettar held party leader B L Santhosh totally responsible for his exit. 

Congress strategy

In an attempt to consolidate Lingayat votes in constituencies of Kittur Karnataka and Kalyan Karnataka, the Congress is keen on former BJP leaders Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi, who hail from two influential Lingayat sub-sects, campaigning in these Lingayat citadels. 

Experts believe Savadi’s shift to Congress and his upcoming campaigns may result in a drastic swing of Lingayat votes in favour of Congress, especially in constituencies like Athani, Kagwad, Ramdurg, Raibag, Chikkodi, Sindagi, Basavan Bagewadi, Vijayapura, Terdal and other neighbouring seatsShettar’s campaign may help Congress consolidate Lingayat votes in several urban pockets of Dharwad, Bagalkot, Vijayapura and Haveri districts.

-TNIE