Latest news with #Lingayats
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Old rivals Katti, Patil join hands to counter Jarkiholi influence in Belagavi
1 2 Belagavi: In a dramatic political twist in Belagavi district, former BJP MP Ramesh Katti and senior Congress functionary AB Patil — rivals for over three decades — have set aside differences and joined hands in Hukkeri taluk. The surprise alliance is being seen as a strategic counter to the growing influence of the Jarkiholi family, especially over the key Hiranyakeshi cooperative sugar factory. Their coming together has re-energised Lingayat representatives in the region, with recent meetings at Kaneri Mutt pointing to broader plans to curb the Jarkiholi family's rising clout. Though long-standing adversaries, both Patil and Katti insisted their collaboration is "solely aimed at safeguarding cooperative institutions", especially the Hiranyakeshi factory, once a bastion of the Katti family. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru The factory, founded in 1956 by Appanagouda Patil, had been under the Kattis' control since 1995 until Jan 2025, when a faction led by BJP's Annasaheb Jolle and MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi seized control. The defection of seven board directors led to the resignation of Nikhil Katti as chairman, ending the Kattis' 30-year dominance. However, discontent with Jolle's leadership reportedly drove board members to approach Patil and Katti for help. "Hiranyakeshi isn't just a factory; it's a symbol of the cooperative movement," said AB Patil. "Initially, Rs 150 crore is required to kick-start the factory. We will arrange funds from various sources and restore it. Our goal is to crush one lakh tonnes of sugarcane in the coming season." At a joint press meet, Katti said, "I am a loyal BJP worker, while AB Patil is a loyal worker of Congress. When it comes to politics, we will follow our party directions, holding our respective party flags." The rising political clout of the Jarkiholi brothers in Belagavi, a region traditionally dominated by representatives of the Lingayat community, had triggered anxiety among senior Lingayats, prompting a closed-door strategy meeting at the influential Kaneri Mutt near the Maharashtra border. The meeting sparked intense political chatter across the district as it came ahead of the high-stakes Belagavi District Central Cooperative (BDCC) Bank elections in Oct, where Balachandra Jarkiholi is leading efforts to secure all 16 seats unopposed. However, minister Satish Jarkiholi had played down the Kaneri Mutt meeting saying "such meetings against the Jarkiholi family are not new".
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Fresh caste census to kick off on Sept 22, final report by Oct-end
1 2 Bengaluru: Karnataka will launch a fresh, comprehensive door-to-door socio-educational survey — popularly known as the caste census — from Sept 22 to Oct 7, covering the state's population of an estimated seven crore. The massive exercise will involve 1.6 lakh govt employees, including teachers and officials from several departments. The move comes months after the state cabinet decided to shelve the previous caste survey report submitted in Feb 2024 due to widespread discontent over alleged under-reported population figures of politically dominant communities like Lingayats and Vokkaligas. That report, initially prepared by the Kantharaj Commission in 2015 and later modified by a panel headed by K Jayaprakash Hegde, was deemed outdated. Chief minister Siddaramaiah Wednesday met with officials from Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes (BC Commission) and backward classes welfare department to finalise broad parameters. He said the enumeration must be completed by Oct, setting the stage for a fresh report before Nov. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru "We will carry out the survey expeditiously; we intend to submit the report by Nov," said Madhusudan R Naik, chairman, BC Commission. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 7 All-Inclusive Destinations That Accept Credit Card Rewards Liseer Learn More Undo "Preliminary work is underway, and we will begin preparatory exercises such as training surveyors once we prepare a roadmap and schedule." The new survey will include additional indicators such as economic status, political representation, landholding, and employment beyond the 54-question format used previously. "Addressing discrimination of castes is the main focus of the survey," Siddaramaiah said after the meeting. "It should be a model for the country. The next budget will be based on this survey." He said the exercise would be tech-driven this time with a mobile app being used for enumeration instead of manual formats. "The previous survey had 54 questions for respondents. We will have more questions this time. A technical committee will be set up to finalise the questions. The survey should be scientific and transparent," Siddaramaiah said. He also directed officials to set up a high-power committee to oversee operations in Bengaluru, where an earlier survey had lagged due to non-cooperation from people and staff shortages. Since teachers will be involved, the enumeration is scheduled during Dasara holidays to avoid disruption to schools. "Survey work should be transparent, and efforts should be made to ensure that no one is excluded," the CM said, urging officials to take precautions to avoid complaints. He also urged them to study the Telangana model of the 2024 SEEPC survey. GFX At a glance Dates: Sept 22 – Oct 7 (15 days) Population: 7 crore Enumerators: 1.6 lakh (including teachers) Method: App-based survey Data points: Caste, income, land, jobs, representation Report Deadline: By Oct-end (for 2026 Budget)
NDTV
16-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"If There Was A Deal...": Lingayat Leader's Tacit Support For DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru: The Congress' Karnataka headache just won't go away. DK Shivakumar 's bid to force it into replacing Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister has roiled the ruling party for weeks now, fuelled by claims and veiled warnings from MLAs loyal to DKS. Those grumblings seemed to have been shut down, at least partially, after party troubleshooter Randeep Singh Surjewala's visit to Benglauru this month, during which he drew sulky ' don't want MLAs to bat for me ' and ' what option do I have ' statements from the Deputy Chief Minister. But the Congress now faces renewed pressure - this time from religious leaders from the Lingayat community - to give sack Siddaramaiah and replace the party veteran with DKS. Shaila Jagadguru, a Lingayat religious leader from Balehonnur in Chikkamagaluru district, referred to the 'deal' the Congress reportedly made with Siddaramaiah and DKS after the 2023 election - that each would rule for 2.5 years - and said the party should honour the agreement. "We don't have information on what kind of agreement was made during the formation of the government. Without knowing the details, it is not appropriate to comment. But, if there was an agreement, the party's high command should honour it accordingly," he said in Bagalkote. NDTV Explains | Siddaramaiah vs DKS Is Not New. What Happened In 2023? Sheila Jagadguru isn't the only religious figure from the Lingayat community to back Shivakumar, a fact his camp has interpreted as widespread support for his bid. Last week another prominent sect leader - Rajadeshikendra Shivacharya, who heads the Rambapuri math - openly endorsed Shivakumar in the chief ministerial squabble. "He should have got a higher position after the last election... may he get a higher position (soon)," he said. DKS has also been backed by the Vokkaligas, but that is not surprising given he is a member of that community. Support from the Lingayats, however, could be critical in winning this battle. The Vokkaliga and the Lingayats are the dominant communities in Karnataka. Back in 2018 the Lingayats were happy to back Siddaramaiah after his administration recognised the community as a religious minority. The community hailed the two-time Chief Minister for swift action on their demand, and some even backed him (and the Congress) in that year's election. NDTV Explains | That swing in support has been critical for the Congress; the Lingayats constitue about 15 per cent of Karnataka's population and have long been since as a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party. It was also key for Siddaramaiah since it gave him a buffer to combat DKS's overtures. But that support has drifted away over the years. In December the Lingayat Panchamsali community protesting over reservation were lathi-charged by the police, who then arrested several leaders, including sect head Basavajaya Mrityunjay Swami. Siddaramaiah was labelled an "anti-Lingayat" person by the community, which now seems to have shifted its support to his deputy. And how the Congress will read this key voter base's unhappiness - two years before the next election - could decide if DKS wins his dream job. Meanwhile, the BJP is looking on hopefully. If it can win back the Lingayat vote the party stands a good chance of defeating the Congress in 2028, even if the Vokkaligas continue to back DKS. The party's state unit chief BY Vijayendra, the son of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, has played down the importance of Linagayat support for DKS, saying, "The people are not bothered if the Chief Minister is Siddaramaiah or DK Shivakumar. The issue is lack of development."
New Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
OBC Advisory Council meeting begins on July 15, boost for CM Siddaramaiah's morale
BENGALURU: Amid speculation over leadership change, the AICC Backward Classes Advisory Council meeting which Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is hosting here on Tuesday and Wednesday, is likely to boost his image as the OBC face of the party at the national level. Interestingly, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, apparently to identify himself with OBCs, had recently said that Vokkaligas and Lingayats are included in the OBC list at the Centre. The meeting will begin at the KPCC headquarters on Tuesday, and resume at a private hotel on the second day. It will discuss the caste census in the light of the Centre announcing that the national census would include caste, as LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has been vociferous about the caste census. A discussion on Article 164(1) of the Constitution, with reference to Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, is also part of the agenda. The meeting being held under his leadership is likely to boost Siddaramaiah's morale. A host of OBC leaders from across the country, Congress Working Committee (CWC) members and Pradesh Congress Committee presidents are expected to take part as special invitees. They include Tamradhwaj Sahu, Jagdish Thakore, Manickam Tagore, Girish Chodankar, Manikrao Thakre, Yashomati Thakur, Keshav Mahto Kamlesh, Devendra Yadav, Gaurav Gogoi, Jitu Patwari, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav and Madhu Gaud Yashki, among others. A host of OBC leaders from across the country, including former chief ministers Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, V Narayansamy and Dr M Veerappa Moily, senior leaders BK Hariprasad, Sachin Pilot and others are expected to take part. AICC OBC cell chief Dr Anil JaiHind is the convener of the Advisory Council and Jitendra Baghel is the secretary. The other members of the council, including Kamleshwar Patel, Gurdeep Singh Sappal, Srikant Jena, Ajay Kumar Lallu, Mahesh Kumar Goud, Amit Chavda, Arun Yadav, Ponnam Prabhakar, V Hanumantha Rao, S Jothimani, Adoor Prakash, Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar, Dhanendra Sahu, Subhashini Yadav and Hina Kaware, are also expected to participate.
Hans India
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Vokkaligas and Lingayats are OBCs at the national level: DKS
Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, while asserting that Vokkaligas and Lingayats were considered OBCs at the national level, said that the OBC Advisory Council meeting was being held to uplift the Backward Classes. He was speaking to reporters at Bijjahalli in Kanakapura taluk. The Deputy Chief Minister said, 'There are many wings in the party for various sections of society like minorities, SC/ST, etc. Jains and Sikhs are also part of minority wing. The BJP gets restless if it doesn't raise issues like this.' He was replying to a question on BJP leaders' criticism that Siddaramaiah being given the responsibility of OBC Advisory Council was a ploy to send him off to national politics. 'I had suggested that the OBC Advisory Council meeting be held at the KPCC office as the party is in power in the state. Over 40 leaders from across the country are participating in the meeting,' he added.
