Caste decides electoral arithmetic here

KOPPAL: Pomegranates grown in Koppal are most sought after in Europe, particularly Italy and Germany. Yet the district is known for wrong reasons: the malnutrition deaths of 168 children and eight mothers between July and September last year. Also, the export quality pomegranate crop has failed this time in the region.
But none of the bad news is figuring in the election discourse this time.Politicians are busy bandying caste and community arithmetic to project why the wind is in favour of their candidate. They cite past results to drive home their point why a certain caste will only back their candidate.
Politics, incidentally, has come full circle for chief minister Siddaramaiah in Koppal. According to local leaders, caste reared its head in Koppal for the first time in 1989 when Siddaramaiah stood as a Janata Dal candidate and lost to Congress leader Basavaraj Patil Anwari by a narrow margin. A confident Siddaramaiah moved high court in vain against what he alleged were malpractices in counting.
Siddaramaiah's Kuruba community is believed to have voted in his favour prompting a caste polarization of sorts since, a Congress leader said on the condition of anonymity. Lingayats, the dominant caste, and Kurubas, who are in sizeable numbers, are said to rally around candidates from their caste.
With every parliamentary election reduced to a see-saw battle between Lingayats and Kurubas, the two dominant groups are at the mercy of smaller social groups and minorities. The Kuruba or Lingayat candidate who is successful in wooing other minor social groups ultimately wins.
Barring Muslims, other smaller social groups have voted on the basis of candidates' popularity rather than going blindly by parties which they represent.
With the election scene hotting up, campaigns are revolving around the Kuruba and Lingayat candidates fielded by the Congress and BJP, respectively. While Kurubas are in favour of Basavaraj Hitnal, a Kuruba and Siddaramaiah camp-follower, Lingayats are supporting BJP's Sanganna Kardi. The duo has locked horns in the past in assembly elections and shared the honours equally.
NOTA an option
The None of the Above (NOTA) option on EVMs is gaining popularity in Koppal. People are seen discussing it at village corners and hotels. During a chat at a hotel run out of a hut in Kinnal village, a farm labourer sipping hot tea along with mirchi bhajjis tells a colleague he is not interested in both the candidates in the fray. He says he does not want to vote this time. Hotel owner Amareshappa intervenes, suggesting: "Don't stay away from voting. Press the NOTA button to make it clear that you are not interested any of the contestants." "Oh good, I will use this option," the labourer says as he leaves the hotel.