The Veerashaiva-Lingayats, a politically dominant community in Karnataka, seems to be slowly attempting to become a player in the poll politics in neighbouring Kerala, with parties approaching community members ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. While politics in Kerala revolves largely around cadre-based parties, with the margin of victories becoming thin, community leaders acknowledge that they are being approached in this election more than any in the past.
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In Karnataka, as many as nine Chief Ministers since the State’s reorganisation in 1956 have been Veerashaiva-Lingayats, the highest among all castes, and the community’s support is seen as crucial by both the BJP and the Congress in the State though the community is seen to be slanting towards the saffron party. In Kerala, since the merger of the Kerala Veerashaiva Sabha, which had about 20 sub-castes under its umbrella, with the Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha in 2012, the community has organised itself.
“Never in the past did political parties approach the organisation as a poll outreach. This time, mahasabha office-bearers were invited to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he came to Thrissur,” said Thrissur-based P.V. Suresh, mahasabha’s central working committee member, representing Kerala.
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The mahasabha claims that the Veerashaiva-Lingayats population is around 15 lakh in Kerala with a presence in all districts. It estimates that in about 12 constituencies, including Alappuzha, Thrissur, Palakkad, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, and Malappuram, the community has upwards of about 50,000 votes.
Mr. Suresh was among those who met Mr. Modi in Thrissur where BJP candidate and actor Suresh Gopi is contesting. Similarly, BJP candidate and State party president K. Surendran, who is pitted against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad, has approached mahasabha president P. Kunjumon while BJP candidate for Pathanamthitta Anil Anthony, son of the former Defence Minister A.K. Anthony, has taken part in the community activities, mahasabha sources confirmed.
Similarly, Congress leaders from Karnataka have also been working with the mahasabha to drum up support in key constituencies, including Alappuzha where general secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal is contesting and for Mr. Gandhi in Wayanad. The Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government approved the State’s grants in aid to an arts and science college in Pathanamthitta run by the community just before the model code of conduct came into effect. The aid was first announced by the UDF government led by late Oomen Chandy in 2014, but things had not moved till now.
“Except Kozhikode, where district committee is yet to be set up, we have well-organised district and grassroots units in all other districts,” mahasabha Kerala unit president T.P. Kunjumon said. According to him, Veerashiava-Lingayats form the fourth biggest organised caste group in Kerala. He said, “The mahasabha does not want to formally support any party. Even in the 2021 Assembly elections, we remained neutral.”
Bengaluru-based mahasabha secretary H.M. Renukaprasanna, who attended the meeting of office-bearers in Kerala recently, said that the thin margin of victories had compelled political parties to consider organised communities such as Veerashaiva-Lingayats in Kerala though election process is not dictated much by money or caste consideration.