BJP chief Amit Shah’s three-day itinerary commencing from August 12 to Bengaluru has churned the political circles. His meeting with religious leaders and Mutt heads has curious insights ahead of Assembly polls which is crucial for both ruling Congress and the major Opposition BJP which is talking about Congress Mukth Bharath, the theme coined by none other than BJP’s political strategist Amit Shah. For Congress Karnataka is critical to keep its identity as a national party.
Shah’s visit to Bengaluru and his meeting with the powerful Vokkaliga pontiff of the Adichunchanagiri after the raids on Power Minister DK Shivakumar has seen as to soothen the powerful Vokkaliga community, who were upset with raids on Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga leader. His visit to mutt is a symbolic gesture to contain possible damage from IT raids. A BJP leader said, “Amit Shah is visiting the Adichunchanagiri mutt is crucial for us as we need the support of Vokkaligas, one of the dominant communities in Karnataka.”
His proposed visit to mutts just after the raid kept political pundits thinking about a new political strategy BJP has to adopt to counter the Congress. The infighting within BJP has dented the image and appeasement politics of Siddaramaiah have been a major challenge to the party. The BJP leaders are confident of Amit Shah working out a strategy based on their success in many other States to re-enter Karnataka which is seen as the gateway to the South.
As per the schedule Amit Shah will arrive in Karnataka on August 12 for three days during which he is scheduled to meet religious leaders, State functionaries, legislators, Members of Parliament, and leaders of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, among others. BJP is banking on influx from the Dalit groups which include powerful Srinivas Prasad and others to counter the Congress.
looking at his itinerary for three days in the city gives a picture of how BJP is going to lure the two dominant communities vokkaligas and lingayats apart from dalits and backward classes. BJP is also banking on SM Krishna a vokkaliga leader to counter Siddaramaiah.
looking at the cast combination in the state ahead of ensuing assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May visited Shivakumar swamiji of Siddaganga Mutt, a powerful lingayat pontiff and a revered spiritual leader. BJP leaders believe that lingayats with a population of over 17 percent in the state are closer to them and the chief ministerial aspirant Powerful lingayat leader BS Yeddyurappa feels confidant of securing the votes in full to his party.
Shah, during his three-day trip to the state, will visit Adichunchanagiri Mutt, a spiritual place for the dominant Vokkaliga community, in Mandya district, and will also meet Sri Sri Ravishankar from the Art of living Foundation.
There is a feeling among the dominant Vokkaligas that DK Shivakumar a powerful leader from the community was raided for three days that it was a conspiracy hatched by the central government and Amit Shah ahead of Gujarat Rajaya Sabha polls. Many BJP leaders feel that his visit to Adicunchanagiri mutt will help lure them in to their fold. In a way this attempt is seen in the political circles that would counter and balance scattered vokkaliga votes between congress, JDs and the BJP.
The outreach programme for the past one year by the BJP to counter the congress was also a conscious effort to counter the caste census threat created by Siddaramaiah ahead of elections. It is expected that Amit Shah’s visit and a strategy would also help both the lIngayat and Vokkaligas who are fighting against leaked caste census data conducted by Siddaramaiah a well thought strategy.
The BJP leaders who are enthused by the visit are also hoping that Amit Shah would help a patch up between Yeddyurappa and KS Eshwaappa which has dented the image of the party. A leader on the condition of anonymity said Amit Shah would also deal with the appeasement politics of Siddaramaiah who is facing the anti incumbency. Siddaramaiah’s AHINDA(an acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) politics will also be discussed in his three day visit. Eom/blr