Karnataka: Wooing Lingayats, a tough task for S R Patil?

Bengaluru: Has the Congress made the right choice in Mr S R Patil for  working president of the  KPCC for North Karnataka? A Lingayat, he is expected to deliver his community’s votes to the party in the coming assembly poll, fending off the challenge from Lingayat strongman, B S Yeddyurappa of the BJP.  

But at least some Congress legislators seem surprised at the high command's decision to appoint him to the post in preference over several loyal senior leaders from the region, as the  former IT/BT minister, who has been actively involved in the field of co-operation for the last two to three decades, has little influence beyond Vijayapura and Bagalkot districts. They believe  the Congress high command has  succumbed to pressure from CM  Siddaramaiah to give Mr Patil, widely seen as his “Yes Man” a plum post in the party as consolation for denying him the post of KPCC chief and continuing Dr G Parameshwar in the post that he has held for the last six years, with an eye on the Dalit votes.

But the legislators' worry is whether Mr Patil will be able to woo the Lingayat voters, who make or mar the future of any candidate in North Karnataka, as he is not even familiar with many party workers outside of Vijapura and Bagalkote districts. While  Lingayats all around the state see Mr Yeddyurappa as the face of the community,  will the little known Mr Patil be able to get the votes the Congress needs from  the community in the coming Assembly polls, they ask.

Pointing out that Mr Patil belongs to the Reddy section of the  community just like  RDPR Minister, H K Patil, they argue the latter would have been a far better choice for the post. But they also acknowledge that the minister is far too senior for it and has strained relations with Mr Siddaramaiah, which is unlikely to work in his favour.