COURTING THE VOKKALIGAS

THE VOKKALIGA HEARTLAND IN SOUTH KARNATAKA HAS HELD OUT AS THE BJP’S WEAK SPOT

- Ajay Sukumaran

The bid to honour a prominent medieval figure and its likely impact on politics has become a subject of controversy in Karnataka. In the run-up to the November 11 event where Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the 108-feet-tall bronze statue of Kempegowda, the 16th century founder of Bengaluru, state BJP leaders had fanned out to several historical sites to bring back ‘sacred mud’ for the ceremony. Behind the symbolism lay another motive—in southern Karnataka, where it has little presence, the BJP is making a sustained bid to woo the Vokkaliga community, whose historical icon Kempegowda is. A row soon ensued, with the Janata Dal (Secular)—the main beneficiary of Vokkaliga votes—accusing the BJP of trying to appropriate Kempegowda for politics, especially as the invite for the event excluded JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, the tallest leader of the Vokkaliga community.