After invoking Basaveshwar, does Modi need 'Yeddyurappa ka saath' in Karnataka ?

Can Modi repeat the magic of UP in Karnataka by sidelining B S Yeddyurappa- the face of the Lingayat community?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his speech by saying 'Om Sri Guru Basava Lingaay Namaha' amid roaring applause on the occasion of Basava jayanti at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. The master speaker he is, Modi did not miss the opportunity to draw an analogy between his signature slogan Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and the concept of good governance propagated by 12th century social reformer Basaveshwar.

Indeed, Modi has won the hearts of Lingayat community by speaking of the relevance of Basava's concept of equality, humanity, and governance in the current social and political milieu. Also, Modi has the credit of inaugurating the granite bust of Basaveshwara on the banks of river Thames in London in 2015. However, is it enough to win the votes of the Lingayat community, a dominant section in Karnataka which is going to polls in 2018 ?No doubt BJP is riding high on success after its mammoth win in Uttar Pradesh with a thumping majority.

It's a well-known fact that UP was won without projecting a CM candidate. But can he repeat the magic of UP in Karnataka by sidelining BS Yeddyurappa- the face of the Lingayat community ? The fact that Yeddyurappa spelt doom for BJP in 2013 assembly polls by forming the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) and took away BJP's vote share is still fresh in political circles.

The KJP had garnered 10 per cent votes and paved the way for the Congress.Meanwhile, a year before the Karnataka elections, the BJP is in trouble again. The political bickering between Yeddyurappa and the other senior leader K S Eshwarappa has reached a new high. BJP in-fighting during its last term which saw three chief ministers is a situation that the party won't want repeated.

In the last elections, the gross vote share of Congress was 35% and Siddaramaiah's entry had added 1.5% of votes to the party. Leading psephologist Mahadeva Prakash opined that if Yeddyurappa was not projected as CM candidate, the Lingayat vote would get divided among the three leading parties.

In that scenario, an additional 2-3 per cent of Lingayat vote would take Congress' tally to 135-140 seats in the upcoming election. To conclude to attain the dream of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.' The BJP and Modi would need 'Yeddyurappa ka saath' in Karnataka.

OneIndia News