Waqf board’s claim on farm lands turns out to be bypoll issue

As all three constituencies are largely mix of rural and urban features, the farmers and the minority community’s support is crucial for the Congress

Notices served to hundreds of farmers and a couple of places of worship, claiming that land belonging to the waqf board had been encroached upon, could turn out to be an issue in the run-up to the bypolls in three constituencies of Channapatna, Sandur, and Shiggaon, and Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

The State waqf board’s claims on ownership on properties has drawn sharp criticism from farmers. The Opposition BJP has alleged that thr Congress’ “appeasement politics” has led to classification of farmers lands as waqf properties.

As three constituencies in Karnataka are largely mix of rural and urban features, the support base of the farmers and the minority community is crucial for the Congress to ensure its victory.

To control the damage ahead of polls, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who himself is embroiled in alleged MUDA land scam, has assured farmers that no one would be evicted. But the debate surrounding the land ownership is unlikely to die down as the Opposition wants keep the issue alive at least till the ensuing bypolls.

BJP on overdrive

Firing from all cylinders, the BJP has decided to hold a State-wide protest on November 4 against the ruling dispensation for “wrongly” identifying farm land as waqf properties and seeking resignation of Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed. BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking nationalisation of waqf properties. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya has sought intervention of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Instances such as the board claiming lands in possession of Sri Mahanteshwara Mutt in Chincholi in Kalaburagi and a temple in Srirangapatna only added to the “unrest.”

While Congress Ministers have claimed that these classification in land records originated during the previous BJP regime, a senior Congress MLA from Belagavi argued that the errors are caused owing to laxity of Revenue Department officials in the past.

Several farmers’ leaders, including Arvind Kulkarni, secretary, Karnataka Farmers Association, questioned the government’s commitment to farmers’ welfare.

Polarising politics

Political experts believe that parties making attempts to polarise votes on communal lines seems evident on the eve of bypolls and polls in other States.

While the saffron party, along with the JD(S), hopes to gain rich harvest by consolidation of Hindu votes, the Congress might get some Muslim support.

Asked whether it would damage the vote bank, a Congress MLA said: “We have to gain farmers’ confidence. It’s all about how we communicate in the next few days”.

In Shiggaon, the Muslims constituted an estimated about 50,000 votes. As per the 2011 census, the Muslims constituted 26.6% of the population. Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan (Congress) is taking on Bharath Bommai (BJP), son of former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The Congress fielded Mr. Pathan, who has not won the election since 2004.

JD(S) fears in Channapatna

In the Vokkaliga-dominated Channapatna constituency, the Muslims are close to 30,000 voters. Wary of losing Muslim vote bank after alliance with the BJP, JD(S) leader and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy held a meeting with community’s leaders last Sunday. Muslim candidate Sadat Ali Khan (Congress) won from this constituency in 1989. The minority population constituted 13.4% of the total population. Nikhil Kumaraswamy (JD-S) is up against C.P. Yogeshwar (Congress) in the constituency.

In Sandur (ST), the minority population forms 12.1% of the population. Annapoorna of the Congress is contesting against Bangaru Hanumanthu (BJP).

Mulling new law

For dousing fears among the farming community, the government is mulling a new law by amending the existing law to ensure agricultural lands to cultivators, according to Basavaraja Rayareddy, MLA and economic advisor to the Chief Minister. He blamed the BJP for politicising the issue on the eve of the polls.

Published - November 01, 2024 09:21 pm IST