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Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018: Lingayat move fails to land for Congress

The fence-sitters only moved to BJP after status change

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File photo of Amit Shah paying tribute to Basweshwara
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The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government's move in March to grant the religious minority status to the dominant Lingayat community, including Veershaivas who accepted the philosophy of Basaveshwara, seems to have come a cropper in Karnataka.

Lingayats make up for around 17 per cent of Karnataka's population with a strong presence in regions like Mumbai-Karnataka and Hyderabad-Karnataka and are deemed to be the largest caste formation with the ability to influence results in around 100 assembly segments.

Senior Congress leaders claimed this would swing some votes of the community, which traditionally supports the BJP — especially after Veerendra Patil, a Lingayat, was unceremoniously sacked by then Premier Rajiv Gandhi in 1990.

However, BJP leaders dubbed this a ploy to divide Hindu society and lead a sub-terrain campaign to consolidate votes against the "anti-Hindu" Congress. They also tried to cash in on the unrest in the community.

In his speeches, Congress President Rahul Gandhi repeatedly laid claim to the legacy of Basava and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to follow the ideal of 'Nudidante Nade' (practice what you preach) laid down by the 12th century philosopher.

Kannada litterateur Chandrashekhar Patil 'Champa' who had demanded that the Lingayats be granted the status of a separate religion, admitted the community had stood by the BJP as fellow Lingayat BS Yeddyurappa was pitched as the chief ministerial nominee.

"The Congress government, under Siddaramaiah, was not perceived to be pro-Lingayat," he explained, adding that despite efforts, the community was loyal to Yeddyurappa. "For them, Yeddyurappa is not a BJP icon, but a leader of the Lingayat community," said Patil.

"Obviously, this has not worked in the favour of the Congress," noted writer and film maker Basavraj Ithnal, adding that the issue was drummed up before the elections, with two Lingayat ministers Vinay Kulkarni and MB Patil leading the charge. Though some Lingayat maths had supported the separate religion tag, this was rife with its own contradictions.

"The BJP's strategy was to stay neutral… they did not want to be seen as taking sides either way," explained Ithnal.

Veershaiva Lingayats also have around 98 sub-castes and there were fears that the influential Panchamshalis and Reddys, who are landowners, would elbow out others like Harpads and Madivalas

"Veershaiva Lingayats are called Lingayats in colloquial terms. This was misused to create a separate religion when they are not… the Congress has paid for this," charged Manohar Dhonde of the Akhil Bharatiya Veershaiv Yuvak Sanghatana (Shiva).

Dhonde, who campaigned against the Congress in Karnataka, said the move had led to its committed and fence-sitting Lingayat voters switching over to the BJP and caused a larger Hindu counter-mobilisation.

Yeddy Factor

  • Lingayats make up for around 17 per cent of Karnataka’s population with a strong presence in regions like Mumbai-Karnataka and Hyderabad-Karnataka 
  • Rahul Gandhi repeatedly laid claim to the legacy of Basava 
  • However, for them, Yeddyurappa is not a BJP icon, but a leader of the Lingayat community 
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