Congress, BJP and JD(S) deal with internal friction

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: All three major parties in Karnataka are struggling with infighting to some degree.

The Congress, BJP and the JD(S) can’t seem to end the internal friction and caste and community considerations are intrinsic to many of these challenges within.

The BJP for instance is trying to find its footing in a post-Yediyurappa setting. A poll-booth level report had made it clear that Karnataka’s electorate wasn’t responding to Hindutva the way the Hindi heartland does.

The only regions that reacted enthusiastically to the right wing ideology were the coast (Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts), besides Malnad.

Moreover, the report concluded that BS Yediyurappa – a Lingayat mass leader – was the only BJP leader who retained pan-Karnataka popularity.

In keeping with these observations, the saffron party appointed Yediyurappa’s son BY Vijayendra as the state BJP president.

They went back to shoring up the Lingayat support base and an appeal to Yediyurappa’s legacy. This cleared the decks for former Deputy CM R Ashoka – a Vokkaliga – to be appointed as the Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Assembly.

The BJP is trying to cobble together a Lingayat-Vokkaliga alliance ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections. They also believe that Vokkaliga votes will come to them via their ally JD(S).

Saffron party sees rebellion

Many senior BJP leaders haven’t taken kindly to the caste calculus, which has sidelined them.

Former minister V Somanna, who was an aspirant for the state BJP president’s post and has not been on good terms with Yediyurappa has aired his displeasure in public.

BJP MLA from Vijayapura Basangouda Patil Yatnal, a former contender for the LOP post, has been dealing damage with friendly fire again. He declared the saffron party wants votes from north Karnataka but gives power to leaders from Old Mysuru.

Gowdas keep flock together for now

JD(S) on the other hand is trying its best to placate its 19 MLAs, most of whom are wary of their pre-poll Lok Sabha alliance with the BJP, which they believe will cost them Muslim votes in their respective constituencies.

Churning in Grand Old Party Congress, which romped home to power with 135 seats in May, is also beset with infighting as Deputy CM DK Shivakumar has been promised the CM’s post for the second half of the term.

Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga, is also a co-signatory to a memorandum submitted by community leaders, requesting CM Siddaramaiah to reject the caste census.

He drew censure from party national president Mallikarjun Kharge over this. Alleged leaks from the Kantharaju Commission report (caste census) suggest that the two most politically dominant communities in the state – Lingayats and Vokkaligas – were outnumbered by Dalits and Muslims, both communities with less political heft.

This has led to Lingayats and Vokkaligas across party lines to oppose the report.