Bengaluru: Strongman BS Yediyurappa Lingayat has become a BJP face in Karnataka for the past two decades.
But some reports now advise parties can replace them with non-linglayat with Hindutva Hardline ideology.
Minister of Union Pralhad Joshi, Secretary General of the National BJP (Organization) BL Santosh, the speaker assembly Visveshwara Hedge Kageri (all Brahmins), Secretary General of BJP CT Ravi (Vokkaliga) and MLAS V Sunil Kumar (OBC) and Abhay Patil (Jain) fits the bill.
The idea, according to people in a party, is to change the linglayat party to become a Hindus-centric person.
But the big question is: Can BJP ignore the vote base of the lingayat core, which has encouraged him to power the country since 2008? The Lingayat community, which accounts for 16-18 percent of the country’s population, has historically indicated preference to BJP.
Voters from the community – this includes around 99 sub-sects – holding sway in as many as 100 assembly constituencies.
That’s the dominance of these communities, namely 22 main ministers who have ruled Karnataka until now, nine have lingayats – eight of the Banajiga sub-sect and one from conscious.
Yediyurappa himself is Banajiga.
Those from the Pancayatal sub-sect, which are dominant among lingayats, have no chance to be cm.
Now three MLA from the community – Arvind Bellad, Basanagouda Patil and Murugesh Nirani – seems to be a danger.
Some also quoted examples of 1990 when the head of Congress and Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi accidentally stated out of CM Veerendra Patil, a linglayat.
After the exit, the sound of linglayat turned towards BJP and increased its prospects in the state.
Even though the Congress came to power twice, his efforts to seduce Lingayats returned to the fold failed.
BJP may not want to make the same mistake by pointing cm non-lingayat.
Ahead of the 2013 assembly poll, Yediyurappa stopped BJP and launched his own party (KJP) and collected 10 percent of Lingayat’s voice, ensuring the defeat of BJP candidates in a number of constituencies and thus helped Congress, who came to power.
300 seers to hold a general meeting today developments over the past three days can also have a small bearing on party decision making.
Some Pope Mutt, including Siddaganga, has a rally behind Yediyurappa asking for BJP’s high orders not to replace it.
On Sunday, more than 300 fortunies will hold a general meeting to expand support to him.
To satisfy them, the party might be forced to replace Yediyurappa with another linglayat.
However, some begged this issue.
“BJP, even though it has lingayats support, so far it has not succeeded in itself.
Someone with a strong hindutva ideology will succeed in bringing all the communities into the fold,” said a BJP MLA, citing the example of former Ramakrishna Hegde, who enjoyed the support of lingayats despite being a brahman ,