BJP’s first list: Big push for Lingayats

The BJP released its first list of candidates on Sunday. There were 72 names and prominent among those were B S Yeddyurappa and B Sriramulu.

The composition of the list is an interesting one and the key focus has been on the Lingayat candidates which are the BJP's biggest vote bank in Karnataka.

There are 21 Lingayats in the list. The party has given tickets to 10 Schedule Caste, 10 Vokkaligas, 19 OBCs, 6 Schedule Tribe, 5 Brahmins and one Kodava candidate.

There are three new entrants in the list. These persons including Mallikaya Guttedar had sailed into the BJP from the Congress. Interestingly the list does not feature a single Muslim, Christian or Jain, candidate. Sources say that the composition of the next list is expected to be similar to a big push towards the Lingayats and OBCs.