The fight for the Vokkaliga vote is picking up steam in the Old Mysore region where the community is seen as the dominant one in electoral politics. This region is going to polls on April 26.
What has brought it into sharp focus is the meeting of all the candidates from NDA (BJP and JD-S) in the 14 constituencies that are going into polls on April 26, along with prominent Vokkaliga leaders, with Adichunchanagiri Mutt seer Nirmalananda Swami on Wednesday.
It kicked up a political slugfest as KPCC chief and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar took a dig at the BJP for bringing down the H.D. Kumaraswamy-led government in 2019, and at Mr. Kumaraswamy (a Vokkaliga) himself for his “anti-mutt stance.” The meeting of JD(S) and BJP leaders with the seer follows the earlier meeting of Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar.
