The Veera Shaiva-Lingayat issue is set to take a centre stage in Karnataka politics as a group of ministers and Lingayat MLAs led by Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi demanded the establishment of Veerashaiva Lingayat Development Corporation (VLDC) on Monday.
The demand was triggered by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s recent announcement to set up the Maratha Development Authority (MDA).
The decision to set up the MDA is seen in the administrative circle as a means to woo the Maratha populace in BasavaKalyan assembly constituency in Bidar district bordering with Maharashtra who are in the sizeable population.
The Assembly bypoll is due in BasavaKalyan after the sitting Congress MLA B Narayan Rao died of Covid-19 in Bengaluru recently.
Savadi along with ministers V. Somanna and B.C. Patil and a few BJP MLAs from the Lingayat community called on Yediyurappa and put forth the demand for setting up the VLDC.
Later speaking to reporters, Savadi said there has been a long-pending demand for a VLDC by various people including many seers.
“Today we put forth this demand before the Chief Minister to set up VLDC. He sought time to mull over the demand,” he said
Agreeing with Savadi, Patil said the community with a 17 percent population in Karnataka had made a significant contribution in shaping the state.
Patil said that the community has a substantial number of poor people, who eke out a living by working as labourers. For their benefit the VLDC should be set up, he added.
The VeeraShaiva Youth Wing too wrote to the Chief Minister demanding the setting up of VLDC.
Congress, however, disagreed with the demand for a VLDC saying that it will not serve any purpose. Instead, there should be reservation for the Veerashaiva Lingayats in education and government jobs.
The Congress MLA and former minister M.B. Patil, who had spearheaded the campaign for separate religious status to the Veerashaiva Lingayat sect, said the VLDC will not serve any purpose. Instead, he demanded a 16 to 18 percent reservation based on the Lingayat population in the state.
In a letter to the Chief Minister on Monday, M.B. Patil said the Lingayats, who are more than a crore in the state, constitute for about 16 to 18 percent of the state population. The existing reservation serves no purpose for them.
He recommended reservations to Veerashaiva Lingayats on the lines of reservation given to Marathas in Maharashtra in education, jobs and scholarships.
“Earmarking a grant of Rs 100 crore or Rs 200 crore will not help. It will only serve as a consolation,” Patil wrote.