Why is BJP mulling to project a Lingayat as CM face in Karnataka

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to take a final call on whether to run a campaign in Karnataka on projecting a Lingayat Chief Minister candidate.

The party has had several brainstorming sessions in the past couple of days and is still awaiting a nod from the party's central leadership on this issue.

The issue of projecting a Lingayat CM candidate became necessary after several top leaders from the community resigned and joined the Congress. Jagadish Shettar, Ayanur Manjunath and Laxman Savadi are some of the Lingayat leaders who have left the BJP and joined the Congress after being denied a ticket.

The BJP's game plan for this election was clear and that was to rope in all communities in a bid to become the largest party in the state. In three elections, the BJP has always fallen short of a majority as it has relied heavily on the Lingayat votes alone. Projecting a Lingayat face would cost the party its share of Vokkaliga votes.

Sources tell OneIndia that while many in the state leadership are in favour of projecting a Lingayat face as CM, there is a section which thinks otherwise. Many are also of the opinion that the polls should be fought on the strength of a collective leadership and projecting a leader from any community could prove counter-productive.

The BJP has been riding high on the Lingayat vote for long and has very often pointed out how the Congress had shabbily treated Veerendra Patil, a tall leader from the community. The Congress, however is hitting back this time, as a spate of leaders from the community have resigned from the BJP.

So far the BJP has not made it clear who the Chief Minister would be if it were to win the elections. The party has said that it would decide once the election results are declared. When asked, Arun Singh, the state in-charge said that the party is fighting the elections on the achievements of Chief Minster, Basavaraj Bommai and B S Yediyurappa.

Another source said that the party is confident that it would bag the Lingayat votes. The focus would be heavy on this community and the recent exits by Lingayat leaders would not affect the party's prospects, the source also added.

The party is also heavily reliant on the 20 odd rallies that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold in the coming days. Bommai had said that the PM would hold 20 rallies in the state.

The BJP is relying heavily on the PM to swing the prospects in its favour as it battle rebellion and anti-incumbency in the state.

The results of the elections will be declared on May 13, while polling will be held on May 10.