BJP aiming to woo Vokkaliga community in old Mysore

New Delhi: After trying to consolidate the Lingayat vote, the BJP in Karnataka is now trying to swoop in on the Vokkaliga community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed roadshow at Mandya on March 12 is another attempt for the BJP to make a dent in the rival stronghold. Mandya, which falls under the old Mysore region, has traditionally been the bastion of the JD(S). The Congress also has a considerable presence in the region.

While preparations are on for the PM’s visit, state chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said the state was in constant touch with the PMO to finalise details of the visit. So far, the Prime Minister is expected to hold a rally and roadshow at Mandya. The Vokkaliga-dominated old Mysore region is crucial for the BJP to cruise comfortably towards the magic number of 113 seats in the 224-member Assembly. In the 2018 Assembly elections, the JD(S) won all the seven Assembly seats in the region.

A senior BJP leader pointed out that even the Congress had performed better than the BJP in this particular region. While Congress got nearly 38 per cent vote share in Mandya district, the BJP polled a little over 36 per cent. It was old Mysore where BJP fumbled and eventually fell short of a majority.

The BJP is traditionally weaker in Vokkaliga-dominated old Mysore. Of the 59 Assembly berths in the region, the BJP managed to win only nine seats in the 2018 polls.

Besides the Prime  Minister, top BJP leaders, ranging from home minister Amit Shah and party president J.P. Nadda, moved across the Vokkaliga territories to reach out to the community. The chief minister, Mr Bommai, also asserted that he was actively considering the Vokkaligas’ demand for a 12 per cent hike in their reservation. A senior BJP leader claimed that “development in this particular region has also been very high under the Bommai government”. During his coming visit, the PM is expected to open a 118-km six-lane Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway. This `8,500-crore NHAI project is likely to cut travel time between Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.