Union Home Minister and BJP master strategist Amit Shah began his pre-poll exercises in Karnataka on Friday by sending out a message that the party is keen to keep its Lingayat vote base intact with the involvement of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.
The message was clear at the 115th birth anniversary programme of Siddaganga Mutt pontiff, the late Shivakumara Swami, on the Mutt premises in Tumakuru, where Mr. Shah shared dais with Lingayat strongman Mr. Yediyurappa, apparently to indicate that the party high command has not abandoned the veteran leader though he had to step down and make way for Basavaraj Bommai.
Mr. Yediyurappa’s name figured at the top of the list, ahead of Central Ministers and Mr. Bommai, when Mr. Shah referred to the dignitaries on the dais. This is being seen as a deliberate effort to send a message that the BJP central leadership still respects Mr. Yediyurappa. He even accompanied Mr. Shah during his journey from Bengaluru to Tumakuru.
There were also indications of efforts to bring Mr. Yediyurappa’s son and party State vice-president B.Y. Vijayendra into prominence as the programme was organised by a team led by Mr. Vijayendra, which was acknowledged by Mr. Shah. Mr. Vijayendra was also spoke at length in the programme. This has set off speculation that Mr. Vijayendra may be given an important responsibility which would compel Mr. Yediyurappa to strive for the party’s success by consolidating Lingayat votes ahead of the Assembly polls.
In the seer’s footsteps
Mr. Shah, at the event, sought to directly strike a chord with the devotees of Siddaganga Mutt by saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was trying to implement the novel concept of Shivakumara Swami of providing food, shelter, and education to poor.
“During COVID, free food was given to needy people. In the New Education Policy, the Prime Minister has made efforts to provide education in their own language to students. Also, the Government provided houses to three crore people,” he said.
Describing the seer as “Basavanna of modern times,” Mr. Shah said he had left a message to society through his work which should be emulated by others. He also recalled former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee’s remarks that there is Ganga in North India and Siddaganga in South India.
