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51 Lingayats’ pick highlights BSY’s hold in state
Apart from Lingayats, the BJP’s first list has strong representation to the Vokkaligas, who are 15% of the state’s population and are dominant in southern parts of the state. The BJP has given tickets to 41 Vokkaliga leaders in a bid to take on the Deve Gowda-led JD (S), considered a party of Vokkaligas
Bengaluru: Even as the high command of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was yet to finalise the list, former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, who was in Delhi for meetings, returned to Bengaluru late on Monday, raising speculations about his disagreement. On his return, the Lingayat leader said he was “satisfied” and had “no complaints”.
When the BJP finally released its list on Tuesday night, the list had Yediyurappa’s community, Lingayats, had strong representation. In the 2018 election, the BJP put up 55 Lingayat candidates, however, this time, in the first list itself, the party has given seats to 51 Lingayat candidates, pinning hope on Yediyurappa to deliver victory in these seats.
The Congress in its two lists of 166 candidates has given seats to 43 Lingayat leaders. Lingyats are about 17% of the state’s population and hold sway in about 80 of the 224 Karnataka assembly seats, according to political experts. The BJP is considered strong among Lingayats.
Apart from Lingayats, the BJP’s first list also has strong representation to the Vokkaliga community, who are 15% of the state’s population and are dominant in southern parts of the state. The BJP has given tickets to 41 Vokkaliga leaders in a bid to take on the H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular), considered a party of Vokkaligas. The Congress has given tickets to 22 Vokkaligas so far.
The BJP has given tickets to 19 Valmikis and 10 Brahmins.
“There were a lot of questions raised by the Congress party that Yediyurappa was being mistreated by the party. The number of seats given to Lingayats is an indication that the party believes that he will deliver victory for the party. Those who opposed his son getting a seat have also received a message about how the party looks at Yediyurappa’s role in the coming elections,” said a BJP legislator from north Karnataka.
The BJP has also fielded Yediyurappa’s son BY Vijayendra from the Shikaripura constituency in Shivamogga, the same seat his father has won seven times since 1983. This has been the Lingayat strongman’s biggest ask and will likely boost BJP’s chances with the politically strong community.
As the BJP is expected to announce the 32 other names soon, prominent state leaders such as Mahadevepura MLA Arvind Limbavali held a meeting with Yediyurappa showing that he still holds sway over the decision-making when it comes to party tickets.
Among those denied a ticket is six-term minister S Angara (constituency Suliya). His cabinet colleague Anand Singh (Vijayanagara) has been replaced by his son, Siddharth. The other sitting MLAs who were replaced include Sanjeev Matandoor (Puttur), K. Raghupati Bhat (Udupi), Lalaji R. Mendon (Kaup), Mahadevappa Yadawad (Ramdurg), Anil Benake (Belagavi North), Ramappa Lamani (Shirahatti), and Gulihatti D. Shekar (Hosadurga).
Political analyst Sandeep Shastri said the MLAs, who have been replaced, are lightweights in the party and would not have created any opposition. “The 10 sitting MLAs not renominated from the same seats are largely lightweights and have been replaced to deal with anti-incumbency,” he said.
The BJP has brought in a few new faces in the coastal belt, especially in the communally sensitive district of Dakshina Kannada, which is among its strongholds. Bhagirathi Murulya replaced Angara in Suliya, while Asha Thimappa Gowda replaces Sanjeev Mattandoor in Puttur. Satish Kumpala has replaced Santosh Kumar Rai, who lost to UT Khader of the Congress in 2018.
“The fact that the BJP has not managed to create an environment of crisis as they did in 2018, caste becomes all important. The ticket distribution is a good example. Let’s take the example of Udupi, the sitting MLA (Raghupathi Bhat) who is Brahmin has been replaced by Yashpal Suvarana, who is Mugaveera leader. Almost all seats have been allotted by both parties on caste and religious lines than ideology,” said Kokkarne Surendranath Shetty, former head of the political science department at Mangaluru University.
Meanwhile, BJP has fielded two senior ministers, R Ashoka and V Somanna, against two rival stalwarts: Congress state chief DK Shivakumar in Kanakapura constituency of Ramanagara district, and former CM and opposition leader Siddaramaiah in Varuna of Mysuru district, respectively. Ashoka and Somanna will contest from Padmanabhanagar (Bengaluru) and Chamarajnagar seats, respectively, as well.
Answering a question on whether the two leaders have been fielded from two seats knowing that they would lose the seats against the Congress stalwarts, a senior BJP leader said that the plan is also to restrict the campaigning by the two leaders. “When they are faced with two strong opponents, they will be forced to spend more time in their constituencies,” said the four-time MLA.
The Congress had decided to give safe seats to Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar so that they can campaign for the candidates across the state. “The two leaders would go to their constituencies only for filing nomination and for a few days before the campaign ends. The BJP giving tickets to so-called heavyweights will have no impact on our strategy,” a Congress leader said.
The BJP ticket distribution also shows that it has fallen back on old warhorse Ramesh Jarkiholi in north Karnataka, where the party has given tickets to candidates of his choice. The party high command approved the candidature of MLAs Mahesh Kumathalli (Athani), Shrimanth Patil (Kagwad), Nagesh Mannolkar (Belagavi Rural), Chikka Revanna (Ramdurg), Vittal Halagekar (Khanapur) and Jagadish Gudagunti (Jamkhandi), who were endorsed by Jarkiholi.
The party has also removed the sitting MLA Mahadevappa Yadwad to accommodate Chikka Revanna from the Ramdurg constituency. Jarkiholi threatened not to contest the election and announce retirement from active politics if Kumathalli was not fielded.
