What a tall Kempegowda statue may do for 'edgy' BJP in Karnataka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have rubbed off his charm on Kannadigas on Friday (November 11) when he unveiled the 108-feet-tall statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda and basked for a few hours in the glory of the great 16th-century chieftain of the Vijayanagara kingdom.

And with that and a few other moves — all aimed at wooing different sections of the Karnataka populace — he may very well have launched the BJP’s campaign for the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.

The Kempegowda statue at the Bengaluru airport and lavish praise on the founder of the city was aimed at the numerically significant Vokkaliga community, who stand strongly behind JD(S) and Congress leaders.

Praising Kempegowda, Modi said the people of Bengaluru are still benefiting from his vision. And added more in a tweet: “The role of Sri Nadaprabhu Kempegowda in the making of Bengaluru is unparalleled. He is remembered as a visionary who always put the welfare of people above everything else.”

The role of Sri Nadaprabhu Kempegowda in the making of Bengaluru is unparalleled. He is remembered as a visionary who always put the welfare of people above everything else. Honoured to inaugurate the ‘Statue of Prosperity’ in Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/zoMIXIYFf1

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 11, 2022

Modi also paid floral tributes to poets Kanakadasa and Valmiki, whose birthdays fall on November 11. Kanakadasa belongs to the Kuruba community and Valmiki belongs to the Nayak community; both are electorally significant.

He also touched on Hindu sentiments by flagging off Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan train which will take devotees from Bengaluru to Ayodhya, Kashi and Prayagraj.

For public and upper classes, the Vande Bharat Express train and the second terminal of Kempegowda International Airport were largesse.

The Prime Minister also mentioned the name of Onake Obavva, a woman who died fighting against the 18th-century sultan of Mysore, Hyder Ali to save the Chitradurga Fort, and harped on women’s empowerment and nationalism.

As such, Modi covered a wide spectrum of communities during his few hours in Bengaluru.

Vokkaliga focus

However, this only exposed a deep contusion in the BJP — that they have to depend on Modi’s charm, as local leaders, including Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel, have little effect on the masses in comparison.

Some BJP sources felt this may prove to be BJP’s undoing in view of the anti-incumbency factor and the corruption allegations against the ruling party.

The party is likely to continue its focus on specific communities as it tries to consolidate votes from different communities, as its Hindutva agenda — which gives excellent results in northern states — may not quite work in the state.

With this in mind, the BJP is now preparing for an ST rally, having completed an OBC rally, and another farmers’ rally catering to the Vokkaligas.

Also read: Modi unveils 108-feet bronze statue of Bengaluru founder Kempe Gowda

The Vokkaligas are a key deciding factor for an electoral win in the Old Mysore region for any political party. And the BJP has left no stone unturned to keep them in high spirits.

It has deployed Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayana, a Vokkaliga leader, having failed to get another senior leader and minister R Ashoka to make an impact among the community.

Ashwath Narayana seems to have led from the front to make Modi’s event on Friday a success. From organising the event to gathering a large number of people for the event to collecting mud from different parts of the state for the Kempegowda statue, Ashwath Narayana was working strongly behind the scenes.

Faultlines in moves

However, the Vokkaligas continue to place their deep affection with their tall leaders in HD Devegowda, HD Kumaraswamy (JDS) and KPCC chief DK Shivakumar.

And very importantly, the BJP’s neglect of HD Deve Gowda, a former prime minister, for PM Modi’s event may leave a section of Vokkaligas unhappy, more so, since the BJP had invited Vokkaliga seer Nirmalananda Swamy to the programme and gave him prominence.

Some BJP leaders opined privately that neglecting Deve Gowda will prove costly for BJP.

Also read: BJP faces Vokkaliga hurdle in Karnataka even as Cong, JD(S) enjoy edge

Any leader contesting from BJP or Congress will never neglect Deve Gowda in order not to hurt the sentiments of Vokkaligas, a leader said.

Former CM HD Kumaraswamy has sharply pointed out that Kempegowda does not belong to BJP or some ministers. “Kempegowda is the asset of Kannadigas and we object to bringing him to politics,” he said.

All these leave the state BJP grappling with issues and depending on Modi,but perhaps that may not be enough.