Karnataka: In quest for majority, Congress focuses on Panchamasali votes

BENGALURU: Congress, hitherto, has relied heavily on Ahinda (minorities, backwards classes, and Dalits) vote bank, but is now hoping the reservation issue will help it gain a foothold among Panchamasali Lingayats as it pushes for a majority in the upcoming elections. Panchamasalis are the dominant subsect of Lingayats — BJP’s core vote bank.
In 2013, a three-way split — BS Yediyurappa and B Sriramulu, two prominent leaders of the saffron party, left and floated their own outfits — in BJP votes was the single biggest contributor to Congress’ victory. Congress has not been able to garner the support of Lingayats since the 1990s and it knows that to win back Karnataka, it must create a dent in BJP’s vote bank.
Vishwas Shetty, political commentator, said: “Except in 1994, Congress consistently secured around 35% of the overall vote in each election. If it succeeds in snatching 5% of votes from BJP’s kitty, it can win by a comfortable margin.” Of the 165 candidates it has released so far, Congress has named 37 Lingayats, about 50% of them Panchamasalis.
Some 6-10 more are likely to get tickets in its third list. Congress has its hopes up this time because of the reservation issue. For two years, Panchamasali Lingayats were demanding a change in quota category from 3B (5%) to 2A (15%), but the BJP government, after missing numerous deadlines and promises, finally, virtually on the eve of elections, granted them 7% reservation.
The decision was taken at its last cabinet meeting and after scrapping the existing 4% reservation (2B category) for Muslims under the OBC quota. “The community wanted at least a 10% hike, but it got only 2%,” said Vijayananda Kashappanavar, former Congress MLA who quit his post as national president of Lingayat Panchamasali agitation committee in protest.
“The community feels cheated. I am sure they will show their anger against the saffron party when they go out to vote.” But BJP is confident the community will back them as solidly as they did in previous elections.
“The party has not only increased reservation for Panchamasalis but also given them backward status by creating a new category,” said Aravind Bellad, a senior BJP MLA and the brain behind the tweaking of the reservation matrix.
“It has impressed them, and they will stand solidly behind us.” The Basavaraj Bommai government created two new categories under the OBC list: 2A for Vokkaligas and 2D for Lingayats and enhanced quotas to 6% and 7% respectively.
But community leaders say only half the battle is won and the decision may have “temporarily” succeeded in bringing the curtains down on the Panchamasali movement.
Kudalasangama Panchamasali Peeth seer Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami, who has been spearheading the agitation with the support of Bellad and former Union minister Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, is happy but not content. “We will continue the struggle after the election is over,” he said. Panchamasalis make up 60% of the Lingayat community and are in sizeable numbers in nearly 100 assembly constituencies, especially in the north Karnataka.