The BJP is facing a stiff challenge from the Congress in the upcoming Karnataka election, but it is also trying to shore up support for itself by banking on recent entrants into the party from rival ones.
While the meta narratives of the election revolve around the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the record of the Basavaraj Bommai government, and the wooing of the significant Lingayat vote, some micro narratives revolve around leaders who were outsiders to the party till recently.
The Old Mysore area in Karnataka is considered the Vokkaliga belt in the State, where, traditionally, the contest has been between the Congress and the Janata Dal (S). Independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of late film star and Congress MP Ambareesh, received support from the BJP in the 2019 election, and was victorious.
Ms. Ambareesh belongs to the Vokkaliga community and is popular. The BJP was keen that before the Assembly election, she would join the party. That did not happen, but Ms. Ambareesh did say that she would be supportive of the BJP’s efforts in the area. According to senior sources, the BJP is hopeful that her support may have an effect in at least three or four seats in the area.
Bengaluru has 28 seats and the BJP won 12 in the 2018 Assembly election. In 2019, large-scale defection (17 MLAs) took place from the Congress and JD(S) ranks to the BJP. While the MLAs were disqualified, most of them contested by polls on BJP ticket and managed to win their seats. In Bengaluru alone, four Congress MLAs and one from the JD(S) joined the BJP, winning their seats and taking the BJP’s tally to 16 out of 28 seats. MLAs S.T. Somashekar, Byrathi Basavaraj, Munirathna, K. Gopalaiah and M.T.B. Nagaraj (who lost the byelection but was made an MLC) are still with the BJP and the party hopes they will help it retain its hold in the city. “Bengaluru forms a large chunk of seats and if we manage to retain our hold, it certainly helps,” a source said.
Belagavi contest
Belagavi district is significant as it has 18 Assembly seats and a significant Lingayat presence. What makes the battle here interesting is that the BJP, recipient of support from the Lingayat community here, is projecting Ramesh Jarkiholi, a former Congressman who belongs to the Valmiki Nayaka community of Scheduled Tribes. He is not exactly popular with the Lingayat community. He is influential in the area though, but local BJP leaders have raised complaints against him with the party’s high command.
Mr. Jarkiholi’s long-running feud with Laxmi Hebbalkar, an MLA belonging to the Lingayat community, has not helped his case with the local unit of the BJP. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP in-charge for election in Karnataka, gave party leaders a patient hearing, but, significantly, has not taken any action to rein in Mr. Jarkiholi. Clearly, the party hopes that older leaders in the BJP will stick to discipline and Mr. Jarkiholi can rescue the party’s fortunes in Belagavi.
