An official notification ensuring that all government offices are adorned with portraits of the 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara will be issued and implemented soon. The portrait will be displayed alongside that of architect of the Indian Constitution B.R. Ambedkar, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced.
The Chief Minister, speaking at a public rally at Gundlupet on Wednesday to thank the people of the constituency for ensuring the victory of the Congress in the recent byelections, said he had directed the Chief Secretary to issue the notification to pave way for its implementation.
Caste axis
With this move, the Chief Minister appears to be attempting to counter the Lingayat-Dalit caste axis that the BJP tried to establish during the byelection in this constituency to wrest it from the Congress. With just a year away for the Assembly elections, the party seems to be wooing the Lingayat votebank, traditionally a support base of the BJP.
