Bangalore: Shettar Seeks to Woo Backward Classes with Separate Secretariat

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Aug 20: If the Lingayats are predominant in the Northern Karnataka region, the other politically dominant Vokkaligas are predomination in the Old Mysore or Southern parts of the State. But all the other Backward Classes are substantial in numbers and spread throughout the State.

These are the hard realities, which play a significant role in the assembly and parliamentary or even local body elections. Apart from these facts, it is evident that the Lingayats are largely veering round the ruling BJP while the Vokkaligas are by and large politically inclined to support the JD(S).

The principal opposition Congress party, which is aspiring to stage a comeback, is however bereft any indentifiable caste or community backing as it has virtually frittered away the solid support extended to it by the minorities, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes over the years, who were considered its vote banks.

Though the State’s Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar is a Lingayat, the ruling party also counts on former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurapa, another Lingayat strongman, besides deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa, a leader belonging to the backward Kuruba community, who still continues to be the State BJP president. As far as JD(S) is concerned, the hold of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and his former chief minister son H D Kumaraswamy over the Vokkaliga community is unquestionable.

The Congress, however, has leaders belonging to all the communities but none of them including the KPCC president Dr G Parameshwarappa, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community, do not enjoy mass following.

Taking these factors into consideration, the ruling BJP, which has succeeded in capturing a substantial following among the backward classes and dalits in addition to Lingayats, should be comfortably placed in facing the next assembly elections due in May, if not held earlier as is being speculated.  However, the series of scandals and court cases dogging several BJP leaders including Yeddyurappa and the internal squabbling has dented the party’s image and forced the leadership to consolidate its hold among the dalits and backward classes, which could swing in favour of the party poised to win in the run-up to the elections.

Obviously, with a view to win over the support of the backward classes along with the assured backing of Lingayats, the Jagadish Shettar-led BJP regime has thought of a new ploy to woo them by offering the sop of a separate Backward Classes Welfare Secretariat for effective mainstreaming process of backward classes through educational, social and economic empowerment programmes.

The Secretariat was inaugurated by the Chief Minister by lighting a lamp at a function organised to mark the 97th birth anniversary of former Chief Minister late D Devaraj Urs (1915-1982) at the Banquet Hall of the Vidhana Soudha.

''The Secretariat would become functional from today itself,” Shettar announced amid thunderous applause from the audience.

Shettar said the State Cabinet took the decision for form the Backward Classes Welfare Secretariat a few months ago in order to bring all organisations working for the betterment of backward classes under one secretariat.

Offices of the secretariat would be established in all taluk headquarters to expedite implementation of schemes at the grassroot level, he said.

A sum of Rs 967.33 crore has been earmarked for welfare backward classes and Rs 407 corre for implementing welfare schemes of minorities during 2012-13, he said.

Though nobody spoke on the political implications of the Government’s move to create a separate backward classes welfare secretariat, with none other than Congress opposition leader Siddaramaiah himself attending the function, the ruling party leaders were beaming with joy at the decision. Even the politically astute people in the audience were quick to grasp the political significance.

Late Devaraj Urs served as the longest Chief Minister of the State and during his tenure the State had seen many milestones in the filed of irrigation, land reforms, industrial development and poverty alleviation. The land reforms introduced by the Urs government brought several changes in the society and many states across the country emulated his programme, Shettar said.

The Mysore State was renamed as Karnataka in 1973 during the rule of Urs Government, he said.

Urs implemented several programmes for unity and development of backward classes in the State, Shettar said pointing out that the  D Devaraj Urs Backward Classes Development Corporation Limited and Devaraj Urs Research Institute have been established to realise the dreams of the former chief minister.

Earlier, Shettar, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah and Social Welfare Minister A Narayanaswamy paid floral tributes to Urs at his statue in the Secretariat.