Lingayats are said to constitute about 17 per cent of Karnataka s population, and the community has dominance in as many as 100 out of total 224 constituencies.
Lingayats are said to constitute about 17 per cent of Karnataka s population, and the community has dominance in as many as 100 out of total 224 constituencies, majority of these seats being in north Karnataka region.
In poll-bound Karnataka, where caste is one of the crucial factors in deciding the outcome of elections, it is key to understand the importance of the influential Lingayat.
With the Election Commission announcing the schedule for Assembly polls in Karnataka, it remains to be seen whether the ruling BJP will buck a four-decade old trend to.
No political party has won a successive mandate in the state since 1985 and the BJP is eager to rewrite this bit of history and retain its southern citadel.