BANGALORE: Following the resignation of B S Yeddyurappa, the Veerashaiva community, which is one fifth of the total population of the state, has suffered a political jolt as they have seen him as their sole leader, who was at the helm of the state’s political scene after late Veerendra Patil from the community. Veerendra Patil was removed from the chief minister’s post in 1990 after leading the Congress for a spectacular victory in the assembly elections in 1989.During his 38-month stint, Yeddyurappa emerged as the top leader of the Veerashaiva community, which saw one of their men in power after a gap of over 22 years. The campaign led by Yeddyurappa in the May 2008 assembly elections proved instrumental in forming the first-ever BJP government in south India and also ensured victory of 19 party candidates in May 2009 Lok Sabha elections.Notwithstanding any criticism, Yeddyurappa had lived up to the expectations of the community and doled out crores of rupees to various Lingayat mutts in the state, which are taking up various social services, especially in the field of education. By disregarding the Opposition both inside and outside the party, Yeddyurappa had also identified more with his community and appointed a number of fellow-community officers in various key posts, including principal secretary to the CM and police commissioners of Bangalore, Mysore and Hubli-Dharwad cities. Incidentally, whenever the outgoing CM had faced political crisis both inside and outside the government, the pontiffs of various mutts came out openly in support of him that had forced the party’s central leaders to avoid taking any firm action against the CM.His alignment with the Veerashaiva community was cemented when Yeddyurappa was declared the undisputed leader of the community at the All-India Veerashaiva Conference held at Suttur mutt recently.
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