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Journalism of Courage
Taking heart from the massive crowds that turned up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s March 12 rally in Mandya, considered the JD(S) stronghold, the BJP will be turning the focus on Modi’s popularity for its Karnataka campaign.
Senior party leaders in Delhi said the state unit might be asked to lower the Hindutva tempo and refrain from controversial remarks, as these are not being seen as yielding much dividend. A BJP leader said: “The Congress and BJP rely on a similar vote base in Karnataka. So, only a strong and popular leader may be a decisive factor.”
Arun Singh, party general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, told The Indian Express that the Mandya meeting was no mean achievement. “The BJP organisation there is not so strong. But the crowd which came out to greet the PM was excited. If you look at the massive crowds at Belagavi and Shivamogga too, it appears there will be a wave in favour of the BJP,” he said.
Sources said that among statements coming from the bickering state unit, those that the national leadership has taken strong exception to include one by party general secretary C T Ravi regarding a ticket for B Y Vijayendra, son of former chief minister and party veteran B S Yediyurappa. Ravi suggested that a ticket for the ambitious Vijayendra was far from a given, at a time when the BJP high command is going all out to court Yediyurappa, whose popularity among the Lingayats makes him a formidable asset.
“Ravi should not have said this in public,” a visibly angry leader said.
Several BJP leaders in the state have been raising the central leadership’s hackles with their statements, including state president Nalin Kateel, who has referred to the coming contest as one of Tipu Sultan versus V D Savarkar. He also asked party workers to focus on “stopping love jihad” instead of “minor issues” like roads and sewage. Recently, he said Rahul Gandhi had not got married as he could not have children. Senior leaders said Kateel, among others, would be spoken to, and told to be careful about what they say.
From Friday, several senior leaders such as Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Karnataka election in-charge for the party, will be in the state. Apart from Pradhan, Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Tamil Nadu state chief K Annamalai are in-charge of Karnataka elections.
Modi will be arriving next for a rally in Davangere on March 25, around the time that election dates for the state are expected to be announced.
The Mandya rally success has also boosted the BJP’s hopes of making inroads in the old Mysuru area, a Vokkaliga-dominated region which has around 80 seats in the 224-member Assembly. The JD(S) is the main party here, and the BJP believes it has been successful in making deep inroads in some pockets.
Apart from the Lingayat vote, the BJP is trying to win over a crucial chunk of the non-dominant Backward Caste and Dalit votes, known as AHINDA, which former CM Siddaramaiah had earlier mobilised behind the Congress.
Kateel and Ravi are both considered close to national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh — a known Yediyurappa rival — and their statements could also adversely affect the party’s hold on Lingayat votes.
Of Karnataka’s 6 crore population, the Lingayats make up around 17%, Vokkaligas 15%, Muslims 9%, and Kurubas (Siddaramaiah is a Kuruba) around 8%. The Backward Classes block of various sub-castes minus the Kurubas make up around 25%. SCs are around 15%, and STs 3%.
