Karnataka Elections 2023: Why Panchamasali Lingayats are key for BJP?

The Panchamasalis, the largest sub-sect within the Lingayats, who stood firmly behind the BJP and former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa during elections.

Bengaluru, Jan 13: Members of the Panchamasali Lingayats community, led by seer Jaya Mrityunjaya Swami held a massive protest on Friday outside Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's residence in Shiggaon.

The Panchamasali Lingayat community is demanding higher reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.

Why are Panchamasali Lingayats protesting?

Panchamasali Lingayats, a sub-sect of the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, want the community to be included in category 2A (15 per cent) of OBC reservation matrix.

They have rejected the state government's offer to include the community in the new 2D category of reservation.

The Panchamasali Lingayats community currently included under 3B (5 per cent).

"CM had promised and swore on his mother that he will give 2A reservation on Dec 29. We asked for 2A reservation but they gave 2D. CM made a mistake by swearing on his mother. So we're doing satyagraha in front of CM's house for one day," said Jaya Mrityunjaya Swamiji.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is expected to discuss the demand for higher reservation of the Panchamasali Lingayats with the party high command, and is also expected to consult legal experts on the quota issue.

He is also said to have held talks with community leaders including BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who has been at the forefront of the agitation by the community.

Why are Panchamasali Lingayats important?

There are hundreds of sub-sects in the community, prominent being the Panchamasalis, Ganiga, Jangama, Banajiga, Reddi Lingayat, Sadars, Nonaba and Goud-Lingayats.

The Panchamasalis, are the largest sub-sect within the Lingayats, who stood firmly behind the BJP and former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa during elections. They are considered to be BJP's core voter base but have been protesting against the Bommai government for some time now, pushing their reservation demand.

Notably, Siddaramaiah initiated a socio-economic and educational survey or caste census' to challenge the dominant caste theory in Karnataka. But the reports were never made public.

However, leaked data revelead that numbers of vokkaligas and lingayat communities had slipped below 10 per cent of the state's population against the earlier 17 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively.

However, reports show that there are several million Lingayats in areas of Maharashtra and Telangana that border Karnataka.

The quota issue is seen as a "biting the bullet" sort of a situation for the ruling BJP, ahead of crucial state elections just months away.

With already 102 occupational sub-castes under 2A category sharing 15 per cent reservation, it remains to be seen how the government goes about without altering political equations, as there is likely to be some resentment by existing sub-castes under the category.