01-25-2008, 12:27 AM
<b>Congress woos Lingayats to take on saffron brigade in Karnataka</b>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Seeking to make a decisive breach into the BJP's Lingayat vote base in Karnataka and consequently boost its chances in the upcoming Assembly polls in the state, the Congress has succeeded in roping in JD(S) rebel leader MP Prakash, who belongs to the powerful community, into the party fold.
Prakash, along with 11 former MLAs belonging to his group, is expected to join the Congress on January 27 in Bangalore. AICC circles here affirmed that they would be awarded with party tickets, as part of the deal.
The JD(S) rebel, who was also being sought out by the BJP, is expected to be the Congress answer to the BJP's chief ministerial candidate BS Yedyurappa, who also is a Lingayat. The Lingayats, numbering about 18% of the state's population, are the dominant community in northern Karnataka, comprising 12 districts.
The community, known to indulge in block voting, had favoured the Congress initially but have switched their loyalty to the faction led by late Nijalingappa after the split in the Congress in 1969. In fact, it was this group which provided the base for the anti-Congress outfits that emerged in the region. The community gravitated to the Janata Party and then later towards the BJP and the JD. The BJP had won its first LS seat in the south from Bidar in north Karnataka and eight of the 12 seats in this region in the 1998 general elections.
It is obvious now that the Congress is working on a formula aiming to weave a caste coalition of Vokkaligas, the other community who are predominant in southern Karnataka, dalits and a section of the Lingayats. The services of former Congress chief minister SM Krishna, who is a Vokkaliga, is also expected to be utilised, while the party have decided to send a strong message to the dalits by retaining Mallikarjun Kharge, even though he is not rated much by the party as a leader with strong political acumen to lead such major electoral battle.
The Congress now hopes to make a dent into the BJP's Lingayat base through Prakash, even at the cost of incurring displeasure of local party units in northern Karnataka. The JD(S) rebel had met AICC leaders here earlier this week and finalised the terms of his group joining the Congress, which included seats for all his supporters.
AICC circles also dispelled fears of a Gujarat type of backlash, where the electorate rejected Congress moves to tie up with rebels. They contended that while the formula failed in Gujarat because the rebels were essentially BJP workers, it would not take a similar route because most of the followers in the Prakash camp were former Congress rebels.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Seeking to make a decisive breach into the BJP's Lingayat vote base in Karnataka and consequently boost its chances in the upcoming Assembly polls in the state, the Congress has succeeded in roping in JD(S) rebel leader MP Prakash, who belongs to the powerful community, into the party fold.
Prakash, along with 11 former MLAs belonging to his group, is expected to join the Congress on January 27 in Bangalore. AICC circles here affirmed that they would be awarded with party tickets, as part of the deal.
The JD(S) rebel, who was also being sought out by the BJP, is expected to be the Congress answer to the BJP's chief ministerial candidate BS Yedyurappa, who also is a Lingayat. The Lingayats, numbering about 18% of the state's population, are the dominant community in northern Karnataka, comprising 12 districts.
The community, known to indulge in block voting, had favoured the Congress initially but have switched their loyalty to the faction led by late Nijalingappa after the split in the Congress in 1969. In fact, it was this group which provided the base for the anti-Congress outfits that emerged in the region. The community gravitated to the Janata Party and then later towards the BJP and the JD. The BJP had won its first LS seat in the south from Bidar in north Karnataka and eight of the 12 seats in this region in the 1998 general elections.
It is obvious now that the Congress is working on a formula aiming to weave a caste coalition of Vokkaligas, the other community who are predominant in southern Karnataka, dalits and a section of the Lingayats. The services of former Congress chief minister SM Krishna, who is a Vokkaliga, is also expected to be utilised, while the party have decided to send a strong message to the dalits by retaining Mallikarjun Kharge, even though he is not rated much by the party as a leader with strong political acumen to lead such major electoral battle.
The Congress now hopes to make a dent into the BJP's Lingayat base through Prakash, even at the cost of incurring displeasure of local party units in northern Karnataka. The JD(S) rebel had met AICC leaders here earlier this week and finalised the terms of his group joining the Congress, which included seats for all his supporters.
AICC circles also dispelled fears of a Gujarat type of backlash, where the electorate rejected Congress moves to tie up with rebels. They contended that while the formula failed in Gujarat because the rebels were essentially BJP workers, it would not take a similar route because most of the followers in the Prakash camp were former Congress rebels.
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