NEW DELHI: After pocketing the three states in the Northeast in the latest round of Assembly elections, the BJP has unleashed all its resources for its so-called “Mission Karnataka”. Assembly elections in Karnataka are expected to be held in May. While top national Congress leaders, particularly the Gandhis, are visiting the state intermittently, the BJP has escalated its “carpet-bombing” and unleashed a propaganda blitz across the state.
While Union home minister Amit Shah landed in Karnataka on Friday to flag off one of the legs of the BJP’s “Vijay Sankalp Yatra”, it was party president J.P. Nadda who kickstarted the yatra on Wednesday, On Thursday, state chief minister Mr Basavraj Bommai unveiled a larger-than- life statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji at Rajhansgad Fort near Yellur in Belagavi district, and on the same day defence minister Rajnath Singh held a massive roadshow in Kittur.
Sources said the Kittur Karnataka region, the Lingayat bastion with 56 Assembly seats, has traditionally been a BJP stronghold. However, in the past few months, the Congress has been trying to make inroads into the Lingayat base. The Linagayats comprise 17 per cent of Karnataka’s population.
Aware that the Lingayats could make or break governments, the BJP has zeroed in on this particular community and has been trying to block any possible exodus to the Congress. The BJP poll campaign in the state is being led by two strong Lingayat faces, chief minister Bommai and former CM B.S. Yediyurappa. The Bommai government has also offered sops to the Lingayat mutts in the state.
While a majority of the Vokkaliga votebank is firmly behind the JD(S), both the Congress and BJP have locked horns over the Lingayats. The Congress was aware that if it failed to secure between 25 per cent to 30 per cent of Lingayat votes, it would not be possible for the party to come anywhere close to power in the state. If the BJP can retain its hold over this community, it could be able to breast the tape, a senior BJP functionary said.
However, besides the Lingayats and Vokkaligas, the BJP was also eyeing the communities beyond its traditional support base. The Bommai government increased the reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes by two per cent and four per cent respectively. The state government has also distributed title deeds to over 50,000 members of the Lambani (Banjara) community, which forms a significant chunk of voters in some northern districts of Karnataka.
As the campaign intensifies, Mr Amit Shah, who arrived in Bidar on Friday to flag off the yatra, will also visit the “Safe City Command Centre” and participate in the launch of the Safe City project. It may be recalled that the Safe City project is being implemented across the country under the “Nirbhaya Scheme”. The home ministry will provide 60 per cent of the funds and the rest will be borne by the states.
