With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) falling short of the numbers in Karnataka, it was the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) which have come together to form the government. The government will be headed by H D Kumaraswamy, a Vokkaliga. Vokkaligas are considered to be the second most influential community in the state after the Lingayats.
While the Lingayats voted in huge numbers for the BJP hoping that their man, B S Yeddyurappa, would become chief minister, at the end of it all that was not to be, as the BJP fell short of majority by around eight seats.
The BJP gained heavily from the upper castes and the Lingayats, with the voting percentage of the communities standing at 52 and 62 per cent respectively. Lingayats are dominant in at least 90 constituencies in Karnataka and can swing the fortunes of any party. Going by these numbers, it is clear that a large chunk of North Karnataka where the Lingayats are dominant have voted for the BJP, and Yeddyurappa in particular, so that they could see him ascend the chair of Chief Minister.
However, with Kumaraswamy at the helm of affairs, it is the Vokkaligas who would feel vindicated and also clearly have the upper hand. There was a lot of resentment among the Vokkaligas when the first half of the elections was all about the Lingayat issue. Analysts had even pointed out that the over-emphasising on the Lingayat issue could irk the Vokkaligas who constitute 12 per cent of the electorate and hold great sway in Old Mysuru region.
For the Lingayats, this alliance that the Congress entered into would be seen as a betrayal. The Lingayats would take into account several issues.
Firstly it was two very prominent Vokkaliga leaders, Kumaraswamy and D K Shivakumar of the Congress, who stopped Yeddyurappa, the tallest Lingayat leader, from becoming chief minister.
Secondly, the Lingayats made it clear that they wanted the BJP at the helm of affairs, but an alliance of convenience ended upstoppinged the BJP.
Moreover, the Lingayats would also take into account that the 18 Lingayat MLAs in the Congress did not back Yeddyurappa. The Lingayats feel that when it comes to their man, people should rise above parties and back him.
With a Vokkaliga chief minister at the helm, it becomes clear that a major part of the governance would be with the community. Kumaraswamy would likely ensure that top posts in the government would be with the Vokkaligas and this would imply that the Lingayats would…
