How Muniyappa worked his way back into power politics after 2019 debacle

Muniyappa’s rise in the state coincides with Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge’s ascension in national politics. Seeking a larger Dalit Left representation in the party and government, Muniyappa has been able to impress upon the leadership to accommodate his family in ticket distribution.

After successfully launching his daughter in state politics, Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa looks all set to get the Lok Sabha nomination from Kolar for his son-in-law K G Chikka Peddanna, despite strong opposition from a section of the party.

With the BJP aggressively wooing the Madiga community in south Karnataka, the Congress has sought to accommodate the 7-time former MP, the tallest Dalit-Left leader among the current lot in the party.

Muniyappa’s rise in the state coincides with Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge’s ascension in national politics.

Kharge and some other prominent faces in the Siddaramaiah government like Home Minister G Parameshwara belong to Dalit-Right community. As it seeks to negotiate past the Dalit Left vs Right faultline, the party has been wary of antagonizing the Kolar strongman, after having accommodated relatives of other top leaders.  

Having put in a good 28 years in the national capital as MP - including 10 years as minister in Manmohan Singh government - Muniyappa is well-connected and well-versed with Delhi’s power play. His loyalty to the Gandhi family came in handy when he meticulously went about resurrecting his political career after having lost the 2019 LS polls.

Seeking a larger Dalit Left representation in the party and government, he has been able to impress upon the leadership to accommodate his family in ticket distribution. 

One of his daughters, Roopakala Shashidar, is an MLA, and he has now sought a ticket for his son-in-law from Kolar seat.

Kharge is reportedly inclined to accommodate Muniyappa’s kin to avoid criticism for ignoring Left sub-groups.

The Congress president’s own son-in-law D Radhakrishna is contesting the polls from Gulbarga, where Dalit (Left) voters are in sizeable numbers.

According to the 2011 census, Scheduled Castes make up 17.5% of Karnataka’s population.

Dalit Left or Madiga leadership has often complained that despite being in large numbers, the community has not got a fair deal in political representation and government jobs vis-a-vis the Dalit Right.

Before demitting office, the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government had introduced Dalit sub-quota in the state. The matter is now in court.

The Modi government has also appointed a panel headed by the cabinet secretary to explore the issue of Dalit sub-categorization for a more equitable distribution of affirmative action programmes.

Towards the same end, Muniyappa has been demanding the implementation of the Justice A J Sadashiva commission report on internal reservations in Karnataka.

“No doubt that Madigas should get more representation in party. It is not necessary that one powerful family in the Madiga community should get all posts,” said Valerian Rodrigues, political scientist.

Out of five SC-reserved Lok Sabha seats in the state, BJP has given two tickets to Dalit Left, while allocating one seat for Dalit Right and one for the Lambani community. The saffron party left the Kolar constituency to alliance partner JD(S).

The Congress has given two seats - Gulbarga (Radhakrishna) and Bijapur (R Algur) to Dalit Right leaders and Chitradurga (B N Chandrappa) to Dalit Left group.

In Chamarajanagar, the party is likely to field Sunil Bose, son of Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa, a Dalit Right leader.