Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 11: An advertisement released by the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha and its youth wing Rashtriya Basava Sena just 48 hours before the Karnataka Assembly election, urging community members to vote for Congress and reject BJP has sent shockwaves within the BJP.

The Mahasabha, the most influential Lingayat outfit, released the advertisement titled 'Lingayat hithakagi kaydiruvara ge namma matha' (Those who protect the interests of Lingayats, we will vote for them) in eight newspapers. The advertisement states that BJP and RSS are the real rift creators within the community. It blames them for dividing the Lingayats and funding the sub-sect of Veerashaiva community to create the rift within the community. It also paints a detailed picture about the Lingayat’s struggle.

File Photo

An office-bearer of the Mahasabha says that the reason for the release of the advertisement at the crucial point was to give voters the real picture and counter the propaganda. "The BJP continuously attacked Congress for dividing the Hindu religion and the PM compared the emotions of the Lingayats to 'lollipop' which was not acceptable. However, the community maintained silence till PM’s outburst in Bidar against the minority tag. It was then the office-bearers of Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha decided to release the advertisement," he says.

The Lingayat community forms about 17 percent of Karnataka's population of 6.5 crore and has a stronghold in 90 seats in the northern districts.

While there is speculation that there is an involvement of two Congress leaders behind the advertisement to influence the voters at the last minute, BJP workers feel that the advertisement could become a major drawback.

Meanwhile, the Basava Peetha pontiff Mata Mahadevi has issued a video on social media asking the Lingayats to openly vote for the Congress party. He has also stated that 30 per cent of Lingayats are sure to vote for Congress.