Yeddyurappa, a fiery leader believed to be the source of the Lingayats’ support for the BJP, has been criss-crossing the state to campaign for the party.
Even in the former CM’s own village, people are getting ready to vote on caste lines, which means the BJP will have to work hard to win over non-Lingayats.
The Lingayats have traditionally voted for a leader and not a party. A chief ministerial aspirant from their community would make them vote for that party.
The PM is trying to downplay Siddaramaiah’s popularity by making it a Modi vs Rahul battle. If the BJP wins, it will be seen as his victory over Rahul.
The CBI had, in November, said it could not take forward the probe into the mining scam. But in March, Siddaramaiah announced an SIT to continue the probe.
The head priest of the Shiva shrine is a Veerashaiva-Lingayat, and the BJP hopes Modi's visit to the temple before launching his Karnataka campaign will help win the hearts of Lingayats.
Many of the 154 candidates declared in the first two lists were ministers & MLAs when BJP won Karnataka in 2008, but also face criminal & corruption charges.
ThePrint had previously reported that India & Russia are talking about 5 more regiments of the S-400, but no contracts are to be signed during the Russian president's visit.
The India-South Africa series-defining fact is the catastrophic decline of Indian red ball cricket where a visiting team can mock us with the 'grovel' word.
COMMENTS