Modi-Shah wooed OBCs, SCs, and STs independently
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah appear to be implementing a deliberate strategy to attract the backward classes and Dalits nationwide, including in Karnataka.
Continuing to invoke Dr. B. R. Ambedkar at his rallies, Modi claimed at Chikkaballapur on Saturday, “The SC/ST and OBC communities have greatly benefited from our (the Centre’s) development initiatives.”
Expanding on the party’s stance, Shah is organizing an OBC rally at Kibbanahalli Cross in the Tumakuru Lok Sabha constituency on Wednesday. He will be sharing the stage with former Prime Minister and JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda.
It is anticipated that they will address the issue of ST status for Kadugollas. The community’s state president, Rajanna, stated, “We are approximately eight lakh voters across the state, and we will support the BJP-led NDA this time.”
While the Congress is also attempting to attract the community, with party senior leader Rahul Gandhi pledging to conduct a caste census if the party comes to power, it has not gained much traction in the state.
Capitalizing on this gap, the BJP is working to win over OBCs, excluding the Kurubas, who strongly support Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. “Over time, Siddaramaiah has confined himself to the Kuruba community, neglecting leaders of other communities. Seizing this opportunity, the BJP will court other OBCs and cultivate new leaders,” a BJP leader remarked.
The saffron party, advised by a think tank, is not relying on regional leaders from these communities to attract voters. Instead, it is promoting Modi as their representative in a novel strategy, according to sources.
The BJP leadership believes that Veerashaiva Lingayats in Karnataka largely support Modi’s leadership, and the party’s strategy is to attract the remainder of them. Forming an alliance with JDS to secure Vokkaligas’ votes and nominating Gowda’s son-in-law, Dr. CN Manjunath, are part of a broader plan, political analysts noted.
Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa and Siddaramaiah used to court these communities in their unique ways, with Siddaramaiah portraying himself as the champion of the AHINDA coalition—an acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits.
