Congress, hitherto, has relied heavily on Ahinda (minorities, backwards classes, and Dalits) vote bank, but is now hoping the reservation issue will help it gain a foothold among Panchamasali Lingayats as it pushes for a majority in the upcoming elections. Panchamasalis are the dominant subsect of Lingayats — BJP’s core vote bank.https://ift.tt/7rHvbq2