Modi’s clever move to induct three Ministers from Karnataka is expected to boost the prospects of the BJP in Karnataka. Inclusion of DV Sadananda Gowda and GM Siddeshwara, who are from dominant communities of Vokkaliga (Gowda) and lingayat respectively, has hit the bulls eye to keep the polarisation of dominant communities towards the party.
In fact, the Modi wave, which swept the State like other parts in the country, has countered backward classes politics of the Congress by polarising dominant communities to secure 17 seats. Modi also inducted HN Ananth Kumar, a Brahmin who defeated billionaire and IT czar Nandan Nilekani in a high-profile contest from Bangalore South. Ananth Kumar and former Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda were made Cabinet Ministers and Siddeshwar was made a MoS.
A source in the BJP told The Pioneer that Ananth Kumar was picked on the basis of seniority and the other two Gowda and Siddeshwara were inducted to give representation to the dominant Vokkaliga and lingayat communities which are realities in Karnataka politics.
Modi did not prefer to induct former Chief Minister and lingayat strongman BS Yeddyurappa as he is facing corruption cases. In fact, Yeddyurappa opted out voluntarily and had asked the Prime Minister to give him some job in the State party to strengthen it looking ahead.
Meanwhile, there is a discussion going on in the political circles in the State that senior leader Ananth Kumar was snubbed during the formation of the Modi Cabinet.
Ananth Kumar has been given Chemical and Fertilisers portfolio while his junior in the party, DV Sadananda Gowda, the MP from Bangalore North, has been chosen for the all-powerful Railways portfolio. This evoked mixed reaction and many insiders in the BJP talk about this as nothing serious but the Young Turks in the party feel it was a decision deliberate.
The State BJP unit had recommended the names of former chief ministers B S Yeddyurappa and D V Sadananda Gowda, BJP national general secretary Ananth Kumar and Bijapur MP Ramesh Jigjingi for ministerial berths. However, Modi chose to leave out Yeddyurappa and Jigjingi. Ananth Kumar and Sadananda Gowda’s inclusion has given Bangalore a lion share of the state’s quota.
Though the BJP won 17 seats of the 28 in Karnataka, Modi gave three births to the state acknowledging the revival of the party where it was decimated in the last years assembly polls. Eom/blr