Lingayat sub-sects' ire may shake Yatnal's religious polarisation platform

Basic facilities on back burner in segment with high tourism potential

The public statements of Basangouda Patil Yatnal, the sitting MLA of the Vijayapura city constituency, has drawn public attention for their on polarising nature, while development issues remain on the back burner.

However, his recent statements against certain Lingayat sub-sects may tilt the electoral scales against him.

A union minister in the then Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA government, Yatnal has been verbally attacking his political rivals on social media for quite some time now. As an MLA seeking a third term, Yatnal’s strategy seems to be to polarise to the tilt.

In a city with 2.77 lakh voters, of whom 1.05 lakh are Muslims, Yatnal’s focus seems to be on consolidating Hindu votes in his favour.

Reservation row

Yatnal appears to be buoyed by the success of his nominees in the recent Vijayapura City Municipal Corporation elections. However, his statements against Banajigas and Ganigas (sub-sects of Lingayats), during a movement for 2A reservation for Panchamasalis, may have angered members of these communities.

Political observers feel that Yatnal will be in trouble if Banajigas and Ganigas decide not to support him in the elections.

On the other hand, Muslims, who form a major chunk of the electorate are united in their support. The Congress has fielded a Muslim candidate this time too, which may help consolidate the community’s votes.

The Congress candidate Abdul Hameed Mushrif is hoping that a division in Lingayat votes will help him defeat Yatnal.

Yatnal lost the 2013 election as a JD(S) candidate to the Congress, while the then BJP candidate Appu Pattanashetti secured over 26,000 votes. Yatnal managed to win with a slender margin of 7,000 votes in 2018.

Lingayat votes crucial

The outcome of the election, therefore, depends on whether the Lingayat vote remains consolidated.

Whether the Lingayats forget their internal differences and come together to support BJP this time is to be seen.

The city was once synonymous with severe drinking water woes, even though there are five rivers in the district. Post-independence, development has been slow to match the growing demands of an increasing population.

There are problems galore in the constituency. However, in elections, caste considerations seem to take precedence over other issues.

Water woes

The issue of shortage of drinking water is as old as the city. However, most of the elected representatives have failed to address it. Of late, the 24X7 water supply scheme has been implemented in a few wards, while in others, water is supplied once in 8-10 days.

Though road development work has started, it may not get completed till after the elections. The public suffered due to bad roads for the past four years.

“Cosmetic changes to the city are confined to a few main roads and areas. The condition of roads in areas where people who don’t vote for Yatnal live continues to be pathetic,” said Shehnaz Banu, a citizen.

Tourist facilities

The city has historical importance, with world-famous monuments. However, the lack of facilities for tourists visiting the city has deterred them from staying here for a longer time. Good hotels, transport facilities and connectivity are the need of the hour to attract tourists. But nobody is bothered about it.

“A new airport is coming up and we hope that it will help boost trade, industry and commerce and provide employment to more people,” said Gopal Naik, a senior citizen.