A Lingayat CM? Karnataka Politics Faces an Important Question. Let's Understand Why

Lingayat leaders of the BJP have raised the pitch for unleashing the “Lingayat CM” campaign in poll-bound Karnataka to counter the Congress’ narrative to brand the ruling party as “anti-Lingayat”.

Senior Lingayat leaders Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi quit the BJP over denial of ticket to contest in the May 10 Assembly elections and joined the Congress. The ruling party has been on a damage control mode since then with the Congress accusing it of doing “injustice” to Lingayats and being “anti-Lingayat”.

Lingayat leaders from the BJP met at the residence of Karnataka BJP strongman and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday evening, where there were suggestions for countering the Congress narrative by projecting that the next CM would be from the community in the event of the party coming to power.

Why the Hubbub Over Lingayats?

The politically influential Lingayat community forms about 17 per cent of the State’s population, mostly in northern parts of the State which the BJP counts as its strong vote-base.

Who are Lingayats?

The Lingayats, who have been BJP supporters for over two decades, are said to have sway over the outcome of 100 of the state’s 224 assembly seats.

The Lingayat religion is thought to have evolved from the teachings of Basava, a 12th century social reformer and Kannada poet. Several scholars, however, believe he aided an established sect. Basava, who was inspired by the ‘Bhakti’ movement, rejected temple worship and Brahmin ceremonies in favour of a religion free of gender and religious prejudice, said a report by the Print.

Over the years, several people from backward castes chose to be Lingayats in order to avoid the rigid Hindu caste system.

Although the Lingayats’ earlier overthrow of caste distinctions has been modified in current times, the sect remains vehemently anti-Brahmanical and opposes worship of any image other than the lingam, as per Britannica. They foreshadowed much of the stance of the nineteenth-century social reform movements in their rejection of the authority of the Vedas, the doctrine of soul transmigration, child marriage, and ill treatment of widows. In the early twenty-first century, some Lingayats began to lobby the Indian government for legal recognition as a religion distinct from Hinduism, or as a caste within Hinduism, the report says.

The Recent Reservation Row

On March 30, the BJP-led Karnataka government had notified the cabinet decision to scrap the 4% backward classes quota for Muslims — who have been recognised as a backward class in Karnataka for more than 100 years — and reallot the Muslim OBC quota to the state’s two most dominant communities, Lingayats and Vokkaligas.

According to a report by the Indian Express, there had been strong reservation demands from Panchamasalis, a subset of the Lingayat population, who wanted to be included in the 2A reservation category, and Vokkaligas, who wanted their 4% quota increased to 12%. The BJP’s electoral calculations may have been ‘thrown off’ had the demands not been met.

Shettar Quitting and a Different Game

According to a report by Oneindia, Shettar’s exit came as a shock as the powerful Lingayat political leader was ‘seen as someone who has never rebelled against the party’ and one who always toed the party line. Sr Sandeep Shastri, a leading psephologist told the publication that the lesson in the incident was ‘people management’.

Shastri said that Shettar’s claims of his departure affecting 25 seats was exaggerated. When one considers the events surrounding Shettar, one should realise that the central leadership has eventually triumphed, he explained, adding that B S Yediyurappa and Prahlad Joshi had both declared Shettar would receive a ticket for sure. Regardless of these pronouncements, it is evident that the central leadership will not back down on the issue, he said.

“In a sense if one were to look at it, then both what Yediyurappa and Joshi said have been negated. I however wonder if the same model would work here. In Gujarat replacing old leaders worked, but giving the uniqueness of Karnataka, it needs to be seen if this will work,” Shastri told Oneindia.

A Lingayat CM?

On Thursday, responding to questions from reporters, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai confirmed that the late-night meeting decided to strongly counter the “misinformation” being spread by the Congress on “some issues.” “There were some suggestions (on ‘Lingayat-CM). Dharmendra Pradhan (the Union Minister who is the Karnataka election in-charge of the BJP) was also there. He (Pradhan) said he would convey our feelings (on the need for Lingayat-CM) to the high-command”.

When a reporter again asked about the Congress narrative branding the BJP as “anti-Lingayats”, the Chief Minister sought to counter him: “You want to keep the issue alive?” In the last 50 years since 1967, the Congress has not made a Lingayat a Chief Minister except for the nine-month tenure of Veerendra Patil, Bommai said. “Don’t ask this question again”, he told the reporter.

There were several instances of how the Congress treated senior Lingayat leaders, the Chief Minister said, adding that people would not forget how the Congress tried to break the community (demanding a separate religious status to the community) to create a “vote bank” five years ago.

“There is respect, honour and opportunity for all in the BJP,” Bommai said and alleged that the Congress “cheated” Dalits, Lingayats and Backward Classes.

According to sources, the BJP is assessing a ‘possible Lingayat backlash’ after the exit of Laxman Savadi and Jagadish Shettar. Even as the Wednesday meeting brainstormed various measure, many within the party are asking BJP leadership to declare that Veerashiva-Lingayat will be made next CM, the sources told CNN-News18.

With inputs from PTI

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