Polls - Karnataka '08

[acharya]

‘Secular’ candidates flaunt their RSS background

K.V. Subramanya

No reference to RSS in pamphlets brought out by BJP

All candidates are wooing the voters on caste lines

BANGALORE: Candidates of major political parties contesting the Assembly elections from the Brahmin-dominant Basavanagudi constituency are apparently hoping that they will garner more votes if they flaunt their Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) background.

Surprisingly, it is not the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate who is into such a campaign, but his rivals from the secular parties — the Janata Dal (Secular) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

The BSP candidate M. Vasudeva Rao Kasyapa has prominently mentioned in his pamphlets that he was associated with the RSS and other Hindutva organisations as well as the Ram Janmabhoomi movement from 1974.

Similarly, the RSS finds a mention in the publicity material of H.M. Vishwanath, the Janata Dal (Secular) candidate. Mr. Vishwanath, a former MLA from Sakleshpur in Hassan district, is a rank outsider to the Basavanagudi constituency.

While introducing himself to his new electorate, Mr. Vishwanath says in his pamphlets that “he began his career from the RSS shaka before joining the J.P. movement in the Seventies.” The opening lines of the pamphlet herald his RSS background.

Interestingly, there is no reference to the RSS in pamphlets brought out by BJP candidate L.A. Ravi Subramanya. On the other, Mr. Subramanya has said that that he was associated with the Seva Dal before joining the BJP in 1996.

Meanwhile, almost all the candidates are trying to woo the voters on the caste lines. Though Janata Dal (Secular) nominee’s official name is Mr. Vishwanath, the party workers are appealing to voters over the loudspeakers to cast their vote for “Vishwanth Gowda.” There are around 50,000 voters belonging to the Vokkaliga (Gowda) community in the constituency.

In a bid to influence the nearly 70,000-strong Brahmin community, Mr. Subramanya’s supporters have been reportedly canvassing that his candidature has been backed by Akhila Karnataka Brahamana Mahasabha. Mr. Subramanya is an office-bearer of the Mahasabha.

As Basavanagudi happens to be the hub of various religious activities, the Congress, BJP Janata Dal (Secular) and BSP candidates are promising the voters that they would take all measures to improve the facilities at the temples.

For instance, Congress candidate K. Chandrashekar is distributing glossy brochures highlighting various religious programmes that were organised under his leadership through “Nivarana” a non-governmental organisation.

The brochures brought out by the Congress and BSP candidates have several photographs of prominent seers of various Maths, who had participated in functions.