Despite the BJP’s outreach to the Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Karnataka through an increase in reservation quota from 3% to 7%, which the party claimed was historic, the saffron party has drawn a blank in the 15 constituencies reserved for scheduled tribes (STs). Confusion over reservation and inclusion of Talwar and Parwar communities in the ST list is being seen as among the reasons for the defeat
While the BJP had won six ST seats in 2018, the Congress had won 8 seats and Janata Dal (Secular) 1 seat. In 2023, the ruling BJP faced a rout in ST constituencies while the Congress won 14 seats and one went to the JD(S).
Barring one ST reserved seat in Mysuru district (H.D. Kote) and another in Belagavi (Yemkanmardi), members of the Nayaka (Beda/Valmiki) community constitute a significant number of voters in Chitradurga, Ballari, Raichur, Belagavi and Yadgir districts.
Big leaders defeated
Those considered as big leaders of the community, including Transport Minister B. Sriramulu, former ministers Narasimha Naik (Rajugowda) and Shivanagowda Naik, former Lok Sabha Member from Raichur B.V. Naik and S. Tippeswamy, lost the elections.
In their preliminary assessment, community leaders in the BJP believe that multiple factors worked against the party’s candidates.
“An important reason was the prevailing confusion over the increase in reservations for the community. The community could not reap the benefit of increased reservation. Also, days after announcing the increased reservation, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced the inclusion of Talawar and Pariwar communities among STs. It meant that the community had to share the existing reservation with the new entrants without an increase in the reservation quota,” a community leader explained, adding that this enraged the community whose members resorted to protests against their leaders in the BJP, such as B. Sriramulu in Ballari and Rajugowda in Yadgir.
Mr. Rajugowda said, “The added inclusion led to persons from these communities receiving ST certificates in many places. This did not go down well with the Nayak and other STs communities.”
Leaders of the Nayak community in Chitradurga said that Congress’ allegation – that the increase of reservations to SCs and STs was merely an election rhetoric, which could not be implemented – resonated with the SCs and STs at the grassroots.
Kharge and Siddaramaiah factors
According to another leader, Mallikarjun Kharge becoming president of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and the possibility of Siddaramaiah becoming the Chief Minister for a second term seem to have played a role in mobilising the BJP’s Dalit and Kuruba votes in favour of Congress candidates.
“My constituency has a sizable number of Kuruba and Dalit communities. A team of Kuruba leaders from outside the constituency meticulously planned and worked in the constituency in the last four days before the election, and successfully convinced even my supporters in the community to vote for Congress. The same happened with Dalits too. Various Dalit outfits from outside the constituency successfully convinced my supporters in the Dalit community to vote for Congress just to uphold the standing of Mr. Kharge as AICC president,” claimed Mr. Rajugowda, who lost to Congress candidate Raja Venkatappa Naik by a margin of 25,223 votes in Shorapur segment in Yadgir district.
