In the run-up to the crucial byelections on November 3, caste and community issues have been in the forefront of campaigns.
Leaders and candidates of the Congress-JD(S) combine and the BJP are scrambling to woo caste groups, often leaving behind development agenda.
The caste issue came to the forefront with a public admission by senior Congress leader and Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar that the Congress should not have recommended a separate religious tag to the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community in the run-up to the 2018 Assembly elections.
This triggered a war of words and the matter was finally put to rest by the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who said that the decision “was a collective decision of the Cabinet.”
The caste issue was raked up again in Ballari when Mr. Siddaramaiah demanded to know if BJP leader B. Sriramulu was even aware of the meaning of Article 371J (under which Hyderabad Karnataka region gets special status) although he hails from the region.
He went on to say that Mr. Sriramulu knows all about IPC sections, such as 326, 307, 323 and 420, hinting at the alleged criminal past of the BJP leader.
J. Shanta, Mr. Sriramulu’s sister, is contesting against V.S. Ugrappa of the Congress.
Reacting to Mr. Siddaramaiah’s statement, Mr. Sriramulu said that it was a comment on his community, the Valmikis (STs). He said the Congress leader had insulted his community by calling him “420.”
The support of the Valmiki community is the deciding factor for victory in Ballari reserved constituency.
Caste is also a factor in the Shivamogga Lok Sabha bypolls, where the sons of two former Chief Ministers (Madhu Bangarappa of the JD(S) and B.Y. Raghavendra of the BJP) are contesting.
The JD(S) and its supremo H.D. Deve Gowada, who wants to end the BJP dominance in the constituency, has been banking on the support of Vokkaligas, SCs and STs and Muslims, while the BJP has been seeking the support of the Veerashaiva-Lingayats (nearly 2.5 lakh votes), the ‘upper castes’ and the Kurubas.
Kuruba community leader K.S. Eshwarappa has been mobilising his community voters by holding rallies.
Votes of the Ediga community, nearly three lakh, are likely to split as the BJP MLA, Kumar Bangarappa, elder brother of the JD(S) candidate, has been campaigning for his party candidate.
Further, the BJP is expected to get the upper hand in the the Byndoor Assembly segment where the BJP MLA, B.M. Sukumar Shetty, won in 2018.
In Mandya Lok Sabha and Ramangaram Assembly constituencies, the dominant Vokkaliga voters are expected to support the JD(S) candidates to ensure a smooth functioning of the H.D. Kumaraswamy government.
However, differences among JD(S) leaders in Mandya over the selection of L.R. Shivarame Gowda will only help the BJP to improve its vote share, if not win.
The BJP has fielded retired government employee Siddaramaiah, who also belongs to the Vokkaliga community.