BJP MLC A.H. Vishwanath accuses RSS of curbing Lingayat and Vokkaliga leadership in Karnataka Assembly elections
The Hindu
BJP MLC A.H. Vishwanath claims that the RSS wants only MLAs from Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, but not leaders
BJP MLC A.H. Vishwanath accused the RSS of pursuing a ‘hidden agenda’ of curbing the Lingayat and Vokkaliga leadership by fielding emerging leaders in the two communities – V. Somanna and R. Ashok – against established Congress leaders in Varuna and Kanakapura Assembly segments for the Karnataka elections, scheduled on May 10.
Addressing a media conference in Mysuru and April 15, Mr Vishwanath said the RSS wants only MLAs from Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, but not leaders. The RSS wants to ‘finish’ the leadership of Lingayats and Vokkaligas by fielding V Somanna in Varuna against former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and R. Ashok in Kanakapura against Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar.
Mr Vishwanath, who has served as a Minister in Congress governments, claimed that the BJP had fielded Mr Somanna against Mr Siddaramaiah even though the Lingayats of Varuna and the seer of the Suttur mutt had been blessing Mr Siddaramaiah for a long time. Similarly, Mr Ashok has been pitted against Mr Shivakumar in Kanakapura, where the latter enjoys considerable influence.
He accused the BJP of trying to pit one community against another, and destroying the harmony in society by fielding Mr Somanna and Mr Ashok in two constituencies each.
“Even BJP MP V. Srinivas Prasad had rightly asked Mr Somanna what was the need for him to contest from two constituencies,” Mr Vishwanath claimed. But, Mr Somanna did not have the option to reject the decision of the BJP high command to nominate him from Varuna, he added.
He urged the BJP government in Karnataka to withdraw its decision to scrap the 4% reservation for Muslims, which has been termed as ‘flawed’ by the Supreme Court.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s observations in the case, Mr Vishwanath said the BJP is misleading people by claiming that a similar reservation for Muslims in Andhra Pradesh had been struck down by the apex court.
Amal Neerad’s film with Fahadh Faasil, Kunchacko Boban titled ‘Bougainvillea’; first-look poster out
Bougainvillea also stars Jyothirmayi, Sharaf U Dheen, Veena Nandakumar, and Srinda