Amit Shah woos Kurubas in CM’s bastion

BENGALURU: BJP national president Amit Shah took the election battle for Karnataka straight into the rival camp by wearing a shepherd blanket and garlanding a statue of Kuruba community icon Sangolli Rayanna. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also belongs to the same community.

Rayanna, who is called the father of guerilla warfare was the commander-in chief of Rani Chennamma of Kittur, who fought the British. Rayanna was hanged by the British and was an icon for all communities till the Kurubas began identifying him as their own, of late.

Aiming to break the hold that Siddaramaiah has on his community’s votes, Shah tried to meet the top pontiff of the Kurubas a few days ago. But he had to be satisfied with meeting just the junior ones.


The BJP chief, however, continued his reach-out to the community by visiting Rayanna’s tomb in Nandagad village of Belgaavi district.

Drawing parallels between Rayanna’s fight against the British with what the BJP is doing now, Shah said: “We are fighting corruption in the country in the same manner.” Shah has called the Congress and Siddaramaiah “as divisive as the British” in earlier parts of the campaign.

He also participated in a massive roadshow in Gokak, which is the stronghold of sitting Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi.

Ramesh’s brother Balachandra is a BJP MLA from the neighbouring Arabhavi constituency.