Bengaluru: In an apparent bid to woo the dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities ahead of next year’s Assembly polls, the State Government has planned to install the statues of Basavanna and Nadaprabhu Kempegowda in Vidhana Soudha premises, the seat of power.

The statues are expected to come up on Nov.1, marking Kannada Rajyotsava. The Vidhana Soudha premises already has the statues of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Mahatma Gandhi and other personalities.

The then State Government headed by B.S. Yediyurappa in 2021, had approved the Cabinet decision to install the statue of Basavanna. But it did not become a reality due to some reasons. As regards Kempegowda statue, CM Bommai, during the Kempegowda Jayanthi that took place recently in Bengaluru, had announced the installation of Kempegowda statue.

Now, the Government has issued an official order for the installation of the two statues in Vidhana Soudha premises. The statues will be designed by PWD Chief Architect.

Most of the statues in Vidhana Soudha premises are 14 ft. tall and are made of brass and come Nov.1, the premises will get two more statues.

Meanwhile, works on bronze statues of late Siddaganga Mutt Seer Dr. Sri Shivakumara Swamiji and late Adichunchanagiri Mutt Seer Sri Balagangadharnatha Swamiji to be installed at Ramanagara, are going on. These statues were sanctioned by previous BJP Government headed by Yediyurappa, who had then allotted Rs.25 crore for each statue. Also works on the statue of 30 ft. tall Bhuvaneshwari Devi to be installed at Kalagrama in Jnana Bharathi campus is taken up by Kannada and Culture Department.