Why does the JD(S) call its campaign ‘Vodka and Lin’

Caste has always played a major factor in Karnataka. The elections in 2023 appear to be no different.

The Janata Dal (S) has an interesting coinage for its campaign in Karnataka.

This year the H D Kumaraswamy led party has added Lin to its Vodka slogan. In 2018, the JD(S) campaign was coined Vodka ( Vokkaliga, Dalit and Kannada Pride). The JD(S) usually relies heavily on the Vokkaliga votes, a dominant caste in the state. For 2023, there is a shift towards the Lingayat votes and hence the party has used Lin to its slogan.

In the 2018 elections, the Vodka slogan paid rich dividends for the JD(S) in the Old Mysuru Region and ended with 37 seats. Eventually the JD(S) went on to form the government with the support of the Congress. The government however fell and the BJP which was the single largest with 104 seats formed the government.

According to Kumaraswamy the Vodka campaign had paid off in 2018, especially in the Old Mysuru Region. He also said that the party intends to expand its reach and they are confident that the Lingayats from North Karnataka will support them. Hence the Lin element is being added to Vodka.

The caste cauldron:

Caste plays a major role in Karnataka. In 2015 the then Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah had conducted a caste census. Although the results were not made official, several media outlets had reported about the same.

The Dalits account for 19.5 per cent of the population, while the Muslims population is at 16 per cent. The Lingayats account for 16 per cent and the Vokkaligas 14 per cent. The Other Backward Classes (OBC) make up for 20 per cent of Karnataka's population of which 7 per cent are Kurubas.

In another development, Kumaraswamy said that 2028 will be his last election. He however added that he will remain active in politics.

The clarification by Kumaraswamy comes at a time when there were reports that the 2023 assembly elections will be his last.

"What I said was 2028 will be my last election. It will be my last election to the assembly. I have not said, I will not be in politics. I will remain in politics and face elections," Kumaraswamy said.

The JD(S) has already announced its list of 93 candidates for the Karnataka elections, scheduled to be held in April-May.