No Dalit or Lingayat min from NK; supporters disappointed

Hubballi: With the induction of only one MP, Pralhad Joshi, from North Karnataka into the Union cabinet, people in the region are feeling let down.

Despite the region electing two former chief ministers – Jagadish Shettar and Basavaraj Bommai, former DyCM Govind Karjol, former speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and three MPs – Ramesh Jigajinagi, Joshi, and PC Gaddigoudar, it has secured only one berth while people were expecting at least two berths. Many BJP workers fear losing Lingayat and Dalit votes in the coming days as none from these communities has been inducted into the Modi 3.0 cabinet.

No Dalit or Lingayat min from NK; supporters disappointed

Though Tumakuru MP V Sommanna has an opportunity under the Lingayat quota, the community is upset since it has no representative. BJP leaders and workers in Haveri are also upset after former CM and the Haveri Lok Sabha MP Basavaraj Bommai missed a berth in PM Narendra Modi’s 3.0 cabinet. As Bommai served as the CM for two years in Karnataka, his supporters and party workers were confident of securing a Union berth. Still, Tumakuru MP V Sommanna got an opportunity in Modi’s 3.0 cabinet under the Lingayat quota.

Interestingly, on Sunday morning, many Bommai supporters prepared banners and buntings to place them in public places to wish him success in getting a Union cabinet berth because rumours spread that the former CM would take the oath as a central minister.

Also, a former minister from Hangal Manohar Tahsildar, who recently joined the BJP, wished Bommai. Many of his supporters were in New Delhi to witness Bommai’s oath-taking ceremony because they had much confidence. “We were disappointed after missing a cabinet berth for our leader Basavaraj Bommai,” said Basavaraj Gumatimath, one of Bommai’s supporters in Haveri.

Ashok Chanargi, a political observer in Belagavi, opined that the BJP has not followed social and regional justice in the context of Karnataka. “Instead of inducting two Brahmins – Joshi and Nirmala Sitharaman – from the state, they should have facilitated a Dalit MP. NK has two Dalit BJP MPs – Jigajinagi and Karjol. According to a psephological survey, 45%, which is the highest ever, of Dalit voters have supported the BJP in Karnataka. The BJP could have considered this aspect,” he commented.

Muttu Naikar, a political analyst in Bagalkot, noted that out of five SC reserved constituencies in the state, three BJP MPs are elected. “Jigajinagi is the senior-most MP in the state, while Karjol is an MP from the Chitradurga SC segment and hails from the Vijayapura region. The party should have considered both Jigajinagi and Gaddigoudar for the ministerial berths,” he said.

Senior journalist Arunkumar Habbu said: “If the BJP neglects Lingayats, it may lose their support in the coming days.”

Courtesy : TOI

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