Karnataka assembly election: BJP hopes to woo Vokkaligas

NEW DELHI: In its bid to expand beyond traditional vote banks, BJP has named 41 Vokkaliga candidates in its first list of 189 for the Karnataka polls, which is seen as a calculated gamble given that the party has not done well previously in the community-dominated Old Mysore region, which has 59 seats.

BJP had fielded 28 Vokkaliga candidates in 2018 and won just six seats, a key factor in its failure to reach the magic figure of 113 in the 224-member House even as it emerged as the single-largest party with 104 seats.

While BJP has done well in the "polarised" coastal regions, it has remained the first preference for the dominant Lingayat community, which constitutes 17% of the electorate. The Vokkaligas, a largely agricultural community, accounts for 15% of the population. To retain its dominance in the only state south of the Vindhyas where it is in office, BJP has taken a bold step as its appeal among Lingayats and in the coastal regions has not been enough to propel it to the majority mark.

The party's popularity among Lingayats remains undimmed, thanks to community strongman B S Yediyurappa. His replacement as CM, Basavaraj Bommai, too is a Lingayat. BJP has fielded Yediyurappa's son B S Vijayendra from Shikaripura to send the message that the party's respect for the veteran leader has not diminished.

After restructuring the quota allocation in the state with a 2% increased share for Lingayats and Vokkaligas, BJP is expecting to improve its tally in the Old Mysore region. The party's gamble on the Vokkaligas is also seen as a bid to undercut the dominance of the Deve Gowda family amid reports of JD(S)'s sinking support in the community. Besides, it has been part of the party's playbook to slice away groups that are not fundamentally with JD(S).

Congress veteran Siddaramaiah's Kuruba community has been loyal to the party and its tie-up with Muslims makes Congress a strong force. BJP has not been able to make inroads among Kurubas.

Increased representation in the state government from the Old Mysore region, along with welfare and development initiatives of the Bommai government and central schemes, had made BJP confident of improving its tally in coming polls.

The BJP brass has also made strategic trips to Vokkaliga-dominated constituencies in the past few months with PM Narendra Modi recently unveiling a statue of Kempegowda, the most celebrated icon of the community, at Bengaluru airport a few months ago.