Karnataka elections: Lingayats dominate BJP’s lists, AHINDA for Congress
The BJP has announced candidates for all 224 assembly seats in Karnataka, and the Congress for 223 seats.
In its final list of two candidates, the Bharatiya Janata Party denied a ticket to former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa’s son KE Kantesh from Shivamogga assembly constituency and the Congress, in its last list of five candidates, replaced its sitting MLA from Sidlaghatta, V Muniyappa, with BV Rajeev Gowda, drawing the battle lines for the May 10 assembly polls. Both lists were released on Wednesday.
The BJP has announced candidates for all 224 assembly seats in the state, and the Congress for 223 seats, leaving one seat for Sarvodaya Karnataka Party, a regional outfit. Thursday was the last day for filing nominations.
Almost half BJP’s candidates are from the two dominant castes in the state, Lingayats and Vokkaligas. The party has nominated 68 Lingayats, who constitute about 17% of the state’s population. The Vokkaligas, who are about 11% of the state’s population, and reside mainly in Old Mysuru region, have got 42 seats.
Lingayat and Vokkaglia representation has increased in the BJP candidates as compared to 2018.
The party had fielded 55 Lingayats and 41 Vokkaligas in 2018. This time, the BJP has given tickets to 28 candidates from Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The party has also nominated 37 persons from Scheduled Castes and 13 Brahmins.
Among the BJP’s candidates, 147 are businessmen, 38, farmers and nine are doctors.
{{/usCountry}}Among the BJP’s candidates, 147 are businessmen, 38, farmers and nine are doctors.
{{/usCountry}}In comparison, the Congress has fielded 46 Lingayat candidates as compared to 44 in 2018. The party has given tickets to 42 Vokkaligas, down from 41 in 2018.
{{/usCountry}}In comparison, the Congress has fielded 46 Lingayat candidates as compared to 44 in 2018. The party has given tickets to 42 Vokkaligas, down from 41 in 2018.
{{/usCountry}}Interestingly, the grand old party has gone back to the AHINDA formula (a Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits and a political terminology coined by state’s first backward leader Devraj Urs in 1980s) .
{{/usCountry}}Interestingly, the grand old party has gone back to the AHINDA formula (a Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits and a political terminology coined by state’s first backward leader Devraj Urs in 1980s) .
{{/usCountry}}Under former chief minister, Siddaramaiah, the Congress has revived AHINDA. The party has named fewer on to Vokkaligas as candidates because the community is loyal to the Janata Dal (Secular).
{{/usCountry}}Under former chief minister, Siddaramaiah, the Congress has revived AHINDA. The party has named fewer on to Vokkaligas as candidates because the community is loyal to the Janata Dal (Secular).
{{/usCountry}}The AHINDA imprint is visible in the candidate list with 20 candidates from Siddaramaiah’s Kuruba or shepherd community.
{{/usCountry}}The AHINDA imprint is visible in the candidate list with 20 candidates from Siddaramaiah’s Kuruba or shepherd community.
{{/usCountry}}In all, candidates from the OBCs are representing the Congress in 57 contests, other than Lingayat and Vokkaliga, who also are covered OBC reservation in the state.
The party has also given tickets to 15 Muslim candidates and three Christians.
Among the Scheduled Castes, the party has given 17 tickets to SC (right), the community of Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, considered Congress backers, as compared to eight to SC (left).
Political science professor at Azim Premji University, A Narayana, said, “Congress’s support is drawn from a broad base of social coalition. So, it can’t afford to keep any single community unhappy. Earlier, it used to come from OBCs and SC-STs, but it’s no longer the case. Therefore, Congress always has the limitation to keep everyone happy, more when compared to the BJP.” “Another challenge for it (Congress) is to keep those unhappy, satisfied, unlike the BJP which can offer some positions of power later. Therefore, Congress has to operate in a constrained space, while the BJP has more freedom to experiment. You can see this to some extent in the candidates list,” Narayana added.
On Thursday, the BJP gave ticket to Channabasappa from Shivamogga, from where K S Eshwarappa is the sitting MLA. Eshwarappa , who recently announced his decision to retire from electoral politics agreed with the party’s decision. “I am not angry with BJP. Those who have left the BJP have to be brought back,” he said.
However, senior BJP leader and MLC Ayanur Manjunath, an aspirant from Shivamogga, quit the party and joined JD(S). He is now the JD(S) candidate from the constituency. From Manvi, a ST reserve constituency, the party has fielded B V Naik, who had joined the party on Monday from Congress.
In the Congress’ final list, the only surprise was nomination of Gowda.
In a related development, BJP national general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh on Thursday said only a leader from the Lingayat community will become chief minister in the state and revealed that it is a “universal truth” in the party, as reported by news agency PTI.
Singh hit out at the Congress for creating a narrative that the BJP “did injustice” to the Lingayats following the exit of Shettar and Savadi, saying that the opposition party has no other issue left with it.
“Congress does not have any other issue. They are saying that we did injustice to Lingayat. How is it possible? Lingayats are the ones contesting the election. In Hubballi also, a Banajiga Lingayat party worker is contesting the election,” Singh told reporters in Belagavi, referring to BJP candidate from Hubli-Dharwad central seat Mahesh Tenginkai.