As Karnataka heads into the Assembly elections, the reaction in the Vokkaliga heartland to the outreach by political parties is being keenly watched amid a turmoil of sorts in the Mumbai-Karnataka region where the BJP seems to be on the edge with its traditional Lingayat vote base.
In the run-up to the elections on May 10, a large part of the political action in Karnataka was consumed by the layered narratives to woo the Vokkaligas, the dominant land-owning community in the Old Mysore region where the Janata Dal (Secular) and its traditional rival Congress rule the roost. The saffron party’s multiple attempts to make inroads into the politically aware Vokkaliga districts has, so far, not met with significant success.
In 2018, of the 59 seats in 9 Vokkaliga-dominated districts (excluding Bengaluru city) of the Old Mysore region, the JD(S) won 28 while BJP won 11 and Congress 20 seats.
