Siddaramaiah draws up strategy to woo Ahinda voters in time for bypolls

Bengaluru: With poll pundits blaming the Congress party’s poor performance in the state during the recent Lok Sabha elections on the erosion of its popularity among the backward classes and minorities, former Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah has quietly worked out a plan to woo the Ahinda voters back through the rallies that the party is holding for the December bypolls, according to sources.

The 2019 parliamentary elections came as a rude shock to the Congress as it fetched the party only one Lok Sabha seat from Karnataka. The poll pundits have since concluded that barring Muslims and a small section of Kurubas and Christians, no other community backed the party or Mr Siddaramaiah, who has for long claimed to champion their cause.

Although the Kuruba strongman does not openly admit that Ahinda voters have deserted both him and the Congress, he seems to have come to terms with the reality and to prove his critics within the party wrong, and to stop more of these voters from crossing over to the BJP, has decided to use the poll rallies or the Nava Chaitanya Yatras as they are called, to woo them back, say sources close to him.

Stung by criticism that he is no longer a mass leader particularly after the party’s poor performance in the 2018 assembly and 2019 parliamentary elections, he is said to be eager to rebuild his image and on Saturday called a meeting of his confidantes in the party to discuss the new strategy.

Leaders like Dr H.C. Mahadevappa, H. Anjaneya, V.S. Ugrappa, K.J. George, M. Laxminarayana, and Rizwan Arshad, who were present, were told to get in touch with leaders of their respective communities and bring more of them to the rallies, according to sources. In addition, the former Chief Minister reportedly plans to hold caste and community-wise conventions.

Sources reveal that Dr Mahadevappa has been tasked with bringing the scheduled caste touchables to the rallies and Mr Anjaneya with drumming up support among the SC-left community to which he belongs. Mr George and Mr Arshad are expected to draw more of the Christian and Muslim voters to the Jana Chaitanya Yatras. Not stopping there, Mr Siddaramaiah hopes to continue being in touch with the leaders of these communities to win their confidence back, say sources.