Mysuru: Asserting that the ruling BJP is counting its last days in the State, JD(S) Legislature Party leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) maintained that his party was sure to form the Government on its own in the forthcoming Assembly polls.
Speaking to presspersons at a Convention Hall in Lakshmipuram here this morning, HDK lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah for calling the JD(S) corrupt, casteist and family party.
Stating that the BJP is digging its own grave by making such baseless and irresponsible remarks against his party, the former CM said that Veerashaiva community, who form the core of BJP support, must understand that BJP is controlled by Party High Command and that Bommai is only a namesake CM.
Charging the BJP of sidelining its former CM B.S.Yediyurappa (BSY) after using him to come to power, Kumaraswamy contended that the Lingayat community has slowly begun to realise the treachery of the BJP, which is a good sign for the JD(S).
Reiterating that the JD(S) would come to power on its own by winning 135 seats, the former CM said that the BJP was getting scared of the growing popularity of JD(S) in all regions of the State. Contending that there would be no hung Assembly this time, he said that a farmer, Kannadiga and a labour friendly Government of the JD(S) was sure to rule the State post polls.
MLAs G.T. Devegowda, S.R. Mahesh and M. Ashwin Kumar, MLC C.N. Manjegowda, K.R.Constituency JD(S) candidate K.V. Mallesh, JD(S) City President K.T. Cheluvegowda, District President Narasimhaswamy and others were present.
Earlier, Kumaraswamy held an interaction ‘Sharanarondige Kumaranna’ with Veerashaiva-Lingayat community leaders of K.R. Constituency at the same venue, during which the former CM is said to have explained the community leaders on how the BJP had ignored BSY and was treating other community leaders of the party with disdain.
We can’t wait to get back JDS to power. We want the good old days for karnataka
The BJP core voters are Lingayats. The BJP strength is predominantly in the N Karnataka regions which joined Old Mysore in the reorganisation of states. Other communities like Gowdas for example, looking at the disproportionate influence of Lingayats-their Seers, vote other parties like the JD(s) and Congress. There is a large contingency of Muslim voters, who go for Congress.
It is doubtful BJP can get the majority in the election. Amit Shah is hence rattled, and talks nonsense. BJP has become more corrupt than Congress.
The BJP core voters are Lingayats. The BJP strength is predominantly in the N Karnataka regions which joined Old Mysore in the reorganisation of states. Other communities like Gowdas for example, looking at the disproportionate influence of Lingayats-their Seers, vote other parties like the JD(s) and Congress. There is a large contingency of Muslim voters, who go for Congress.
It is doubtful BJP can get the majority in the election. Amit Shah is hence rattled, and talks nonsense. BJP has become more corrupt than Congress.
Lingayats and North Karnataka supported R.K Hegde until his death. Three main people R.K Hegde, Bommai Sr and J.H.Patel commanded healthy votes from NK region along with many Lingayat politicians from Congress. After congress insulted Virendra Patil and when all 3 died, Yeddiyurappa when he was deputy CM, gave lot of money to Mutts and seers knowing he will not be made CM. Those Mutts and Yeddiyurappa’s claim of not supporting Lingayats made them to shift to BJP. Now with Yeddiyurappa out of the game, BJP will relegate to North India..
@swamy
You may be right.
But the reason N Karnataka voters supported Congress was the then Njalingappa, a Lingayat, the CM , a most corrupt CM to date, strongly supported merging of regions like Belgaum, Bjapur etc.. which had a large number of Lingayats to Old Mysore, to form Karnataka. Since then, these Lingayats from these regions have disproportionate influence -two CMs: BD Jatti and Veerendra Patil , emerged and ensured that those Lingayats in the arid and desert like regions of Belgaum and Bijapur migrated to Bangalore. Poor Old Mysore people employed in Old Mysore regions were transferred to the arid and desert trash like Belgaum and Bijapur-Belgaum was developed, and yet not the place any Old Mysore person would like to go today.
Karnataka formation was a blunder.
Yes, Yediyurappa, threw lots of money at Lingayat Mutts, himself a Laingayat. Siddiramaiah , though more efficient, is unfortunately a Kuruba in caste and hence does not get the kind of support, Yedi, the RSS cheddi and Bommai get.
But the Lingayat voters are less in Old Mysore regions. Hassan, Mandya, Ramanagara, and even in other districts like Shimoga, there are large Vokkaliga communities, who do not vote BJP. They tend to go for JD(S) in large numbers and to Congress to a lesser extent.
In the next election, the party that gets the power will be the one that harnesses the Vokkaliga and other communities’ votes, Lingayats excluded who go for BJP, as well as the Muslim community votes.
I would not rule out Congress success or Congress-JD (S) coalition again. Deve Gowda is close to Sonia Gandhi, who supported him in his short stint as the PM.