Will CM's gamble in Badami pay off?

Hubballi: It could  all boil down to caste in Badami , which is seeing a  high profile contest between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Mr B Sriramulu of the BJP these elections. Aware of the deep caste loyalties here,  the Congress and BJP have done their best till the last day before polling to impress the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayats and other backward communities.

Shivayogi Mandir, the power hub of the Veerashaiva-Lingayats, turned into a pilgrimage centre for all political parties with  Mr Siddaramaiah, BJP national president, Amit Shah,  Sriramulu, and JD(S) supremo, H D Deve Gowda visiting it in a show of goodwill for the community in the weeks leading up to the poll.

Mr Siddaramaiah arrived at the mutt at the eleventh hour to appease the community and mitigate the damage caused to its relations with his party following its support for an independent religion status for the Lingayats.

Also, aware that it is not in the good books of the Madiga community either, which makes up a large chunk of the voters here, for not accepting  Justice Sadashiva Commission report recommending internal reservation among scheduled castes, the Congress roped in several Madiga leaders to drum up support for it and  promised to implement the report after returning to power in the state.