Bengaluru: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will launch its state-wide ‘Ratha Yatra’ in Karnataka on 1 March, with political observers and party leaders saying that the decision lends to the aggressive Hindutva push in the poll-bound state under Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
The nearly month-long ‘Ratha Yatra’ will be led by four teams — one each by Bommai, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa, and BJP state in charge Arun Singh.
The name, Ratha Yatra, draws from the BJP’s efforts under BJP veteran L.K. Advani in the 1990s to mobilise people in support of constructing a Ram Mandir.
The ruling party has adopted a strategy to push identity politics in line with some northern states and apply the same in Karnataka’s heavily caste-reliant politics. “Our ideology is patriotism, Hindutva and development,” said a BJP leader, requesting anonymity.
On Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked people to choose either “patriot” Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and those who were building the Ram Mandir or those who “glorify” Tipu Sultan.
In January, BJP state chief Nalin Kumar Kateel asked BJP workers not to discuss potholes or infrastructure issues, instead speak about ‘love jihad’ — a term used to describe interfaith relationships or marriages allegedly with the aim of conversion.
“PM Modi has implemented several programmes. In Karnataka, too, since we came to power in 2019, the Yediyurappa government not only devised several programmes, but also handled Covid effectively. I have handled the floods efficiently, and our government has rolled out several pro-people schemes. You (workers) should place this in front of the people,” Bommai said at a BJP event in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
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Why does BJP rely on Yatra?
The BJP, which faces growing allegations of corruption, has tried to deflect attention towards its core ideology.
In 2018, the BJP initiated Karnataka Suraksha Yatra across the Malnad and coastal region of Karnataka to highlight the alleged lawlessness and corruption of the then Siddaramaiah-led Congress government.
At that time, the BJP tried to mobilise support stating that over 23 of its workers were murdered when Siddaramaiah was in power, even though several of these claims were fact-checked by the police.
Bengaluru-based political analyst A. Narayana said it was not unusual for the BJP to take this line and name its campaign ‘Ratha Yatra’.
“As much as possible, they (BJP) source all their symbols from religion. Ratha is a chariot, which is equal to ethics that is equal to God and religion. They have always been aggressive (on Hindutva). Neither in their aggression nor in sourcing from religion or choosing things with religious connotations…..there is nothing new in it. It is in line with their known way of operation,” Narayana told ThePrint.
The Congress, too, has held several yatras, including the “Prajadwani” (people’s voice). The Janata Dal (Secular) has been carrying out its “Pancharatna” Yatra for the last two months.
Reliance on PM Modi
Ever since Bommai replaced Yediyurappa in July 2021, and without notable schemes or projects on the cards, the BJP has been working to find a strong footing in the state.
Modi has visited Karnataka four times since the second week of January and is scheduled to reach again on 27 February to inaugurate an airport in Shivamogga. The PM has been showcasing the Union government’s achievements in the poll-bound state instead of banking on his party’s achievements in Karnataka.
The BJP has also had to fall back on Yediyurappa to help the party remain in power in Karnataka and has even proposed to name the Shivamogga airport after the former chief minister and Lingayat leader. Yediyurappa, however, has requested that the airport be named after Kuvempu, one of Karnataka’s most noted poets and thinkers.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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