The Vokkaligas, the dominant community in the region, have shiftrd loyalties from one party to the other in the past -- from Congress to Janata Dal (S). They backed the JDS in the 2018 assembly polls but supported the Congress in 2023. In between, Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent, romped home in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

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In the current scenario, JDS's pact with BJP has divided voters, opening the doors for state Congress chief and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga leader, eager to fish in troubled waters. Shivakumar has set his eyes on capturing Hassan, Tumkur and Mandya that would pave the way for him to emerge as the champion of the Vokkaliga community. Shivakumar's rise has been a matter of concern for the JDS, whose support has rapid dwindled, with almost all the leaders joining the Congress.

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Sources told Bol India Bol that the majority of the sub-sects in the Vokkaliga community were yet to make up their minds – whether to back the Shivakumar-sponsored candidates or rally behind the old guard under former prime minister H D Deve Gowda that Kumaraswamy represents.

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The battle to become the flagbearer of the community is on with a leader close to Kumaraswamy admitting that while it was true the voters were divided during the assembly polls, they would make a decision in their favour in the Lok Sabha polls, this time around. The race seems tilted towards the Congress with Kumaraswamy's chances of improving  in the coming days ,based on whether the Vokkaliga paterfamilias  Deve Gowda can draw  the voters back to his son.

A Congress MLC however said: . “The JDS vote base has eroded long ago. The Vokkaligas do not have faith in Deve Gowda and his sons any more. Now, it’s Shivakumar’s turn to lead the community,” he asserted.

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Whose voice will th Vokkaligas heed, that’s the big question.