Bangalore: The Karnataka Veerashaiva Lingayat forum has announced its support for the Congress party ahead of the assembly polls, providing a major boost for the party in the upcoming state elections.

It is obvious that this has certainly dealt a blow to the BJP, which is desperately trying to return to power, at the state level.

According to sources, Congress leader and prominent Lingayat leader Jagadish Shettar met with seers of the community in Hubbali on May 5, to seek their support for the party. Shettar, a former chief minister who recently joined Congress after being denied a ticket from the Bharatiya Janata Party, and Laxman Savadi, who formerly served as the deputy CM during the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government, belong to the Lingayat community which is believed to have a crucial impact on electoral outcomes in the state.

The Lingayat community, which comprises 17% of Karnataka's population, has traditionally been a strong vote bank for the BJP since 1980, thanks to the efforts of Lingayat leader Yeddyurappa. This community has produced the Chief Minister of the state nine times.

However, recent news of Yeddyurappa being sidelined within the BJP led him to announce his withdrawal from the election field. Another senior Lingayat leader, former Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar, was denied a ticket by the BJP and joined the Congress party in response.

These changing circumstances have led to widespread belief among the Lingayat community that their influence within the BJP is being systematically reduced. In response, Congress leaders Shamanur Shivshankarappa and Jagdish Shettar met with Lingayat seers in Hubli, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the Sangamantha Temple and the samadhi of Basaveshwara, the founder of the Lingayat Samaj, to court the community's support.

As a result, the Karnataka Veerashaiva Lingayat forum has urged its constituents to vote for the Congress party. The Lingayats have significant influence in around 100 constituencies in the northern districts of Karnataka, and both Congress and the ruling BJP have been vying for their support ahead of the polls.

Although several Lingayat-dominated regions of the state are considered to be saffron strongholds, the Veerashaiva Lingayat forum's endorsement of the Congress party could cause a significant shift in the state's political dynamics. The BJP currently holds 52 seats in Northern Karnataka, while the Congress has 32 seats and the JDS has six.

However, with many prominent Lingayat leaders joining the Congress before the polls, political experts predict that the BJP may struggle to retain these seats.

The 224-seat Assembly polls are scheduled to take place in a single phase on May 10, with the results being declared on May 13. The Congress party hopes to make significant gains in Lingayat-dominated regions, and the Veerashaiva Lingayat forum's support is expected to be a major factor in this regard.