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.
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.
