BJP goes all out in Uttara Karnataka; Nadda might release manifesto today
NEW DELHI: With only nine days to go for the high-stakes Karnataka polls, the BJP has unleashed its top leaders in the Lingayat-dominated Uttara Karnataka region to retain its hold there. With the largest number of districts, North Karnataka remains crucial for the BJP. In this particular region, the BJP has blended its “core issues” with its main theme – that of a “double-engine ka sarkar”.
The BJP is also expected to release its poll manifesto on Monday, May 1. The manifesto is likely to be released by party president J.P. Nadda in the presence of chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa and other senior leaders. The manifesto is expected to focus on youth and welfare measures. To woo first-time voters, the party could make a “special announcement for youth and girl students, who have passed Class 12”, sources said.
However, while the BJP must make deep roads in Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysuru, retaining its electoral superiority in Uttara Karnataka is going to be crucial for the saffron forces, a party functionary said. At this juncture, the BJP holds nearly 60 per cent in this region.
While surveys and opinion polls indicate the exit of top Lingayat leaders like Jagadish Shettar could “hurt” the BJP in north Karnataka, chief minister Bommai has claimed the party will “sweep north Karnataka”.
Incidentally, north Karnataka was the nerve centre of the saffron surge. To retain its position and further consolidate its Lingayat vote bank, top BJP leaders have been holding rallies and roadshows in this region. The party's master vote-catcher, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has held rallies in Bidar, Belagavi and Vijayapura, all Lingayat-dominated belts. The Prime Minister is expected to hold nearly 20 more rallies till May 7, the sources said.
A senior BJP leader pointed out that the BJP, which has been doing well in both Hyderabad Karnataka and Mumbai Karnataka (both in northern parts of the state), needs to “perform much better than 2018” to return to power in the state. During the 2018 Assembly polls, of 31 Assembly berths in Hyderabad-Karnataka, the BJP won 12, the Congress bagged 15 and the JD(S) four. Of the 50 Assembly seats in the Mumbai-Karnataka region, the BJP had won 30, the Congress 17, JD(S) two and Others one. While the BJP got 38.4 per cent of the vote in the Hyderabad Karnataka region, it dominated the Mumbai Karnataka region by bagging 44.3 per cent of the vote share. Speaking at a rally on Saturday, the CM alleged that then Congress chief minister Siddaramaiah “had insulted the Lingayats”. Mr Bommai was referring to Mr Siddaramaiah's remark that “the Lingayat chief minister (Bommai) is the root of all corruption in the state”.
To keep the Lingayat community in its kitty, the BJP has also been holding parleys with the powerful mutt leaders. There are over 500 mutts in the state, and of these nearly a dozen are fairly influential. “The BJP has also been connecting to seers belonging to all Lingayat sub-sects,” a party leader pointed out. “There has also been a maximum number of Lingayat chief ministers from the BJP,” he added.
