The Lok Sabha polls are around the corner and the state of Karnataka is witnessing a tussle between the Congress and the BJP for the Lingayat vote. Both the parties have fielded Lingayat candidates in the regions dominated by the community. Traditionally, the Lingayats have been associated with the BJP and the Lingayat-dominated regions are seen as BJP strongholds.
In the run-up to the Karnataka Assembly polls last year, the Rahul Gandhi led party had attempted to divide the Hindus by granting minority and separate religion status to the Lingayat community. The Lingayats are traditionally supporters of the BJP and the Karnataka BJP president, B S Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayats community and therefore Siddaramaiah’s move had seemed like a masterstroke. But the BJP had projected it, and rightly so, as an attempt to divide the Hindus. However, the political “masterstroke” had backfired badly for the Congress. The gamble failed and the BJP swept the Lingayat-dominated areas of Bombay Karnataka and Central Karnataka. While in Bombay Karnataka, BJP won from 30 out of 50 seats and 15 out of 36 seats in Central Karnataka, increasing its tally from 3 in the 2013 Assembly polls to 15 in the Assembly polls in 2013 even as the Congress tally dropped from 19 in the 2013 polls to 13 in the 2018 Assembly polls. The Congress faced major losses in the Bombay Karnataka region as well. Its tally dropped from 31 in 2013 to 17 seats in the 2018 Karnataka Assembly polls.
As per Deccan Herald Congress leaders have admitted that the backing an independent religion status for the Lingayats backfired in the 2018 Assembly polls. However, the Congress is now trying to grab a share in the Lingayat vote by fielding candidates from the community against the established Lingayat leaders from the BJP in several Lok Sabha seats.
However, the Lingayat community leaders do not seem impressed by the Congress. Vikas Soppin, a Lingayat leader said, “Most of the Lingayats in North Karnataka identify with the BJP. And the Congress lacks strong Lingayat leaders to woo the community. Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Eshwar Khandre, and Tippanna are not promising leaders.” Moreover, Karnataka Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali youth wing president, Mallikarjun Angadi opined, “Most of the Lingayats in Haveri and adjacent districts are with the BJP as they are against any attempt to divide the community. Therefore, Congress attempt to grab Lingayat votes will not help.”
The Congress has therefore failed to impress upon the Lingayat voters. The grand old party had faced a drubbing in the Lingayat-dominated regions of Karnataka during the 2018 Assembly polls after its divisive move of recommending a minority tag for the Lingayats. The Lingayats have clearly not forgotten the Congress’ divisive move. With petty political gains in mind, the Congress had taken the horrible decision of backing a minority status for the Lingayats and now the Rahul Gandhi led party is all set to face further electoral losses over this issue in the upcoming Parliamentary polls.