BSY: Lingayat community is 101% with BJP

BENGALURU: A day after the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, led by Congress veteran and Davanagere legislator Shamanur Shivashankarappa, pledged support to the grand old party in the May 10 assembly polls, former chief minister and BJP leader BS Yediyurappa said the Lingayat community was “101%” with the saffron party.

At a press conference on Monday, Yediyurappa said the Lingayat sub-sect forum’s attempt to “instigate” the community against BJP would fail, and exuded confidence that the community, which has traditionally favoured BJP, would support the party again “because of PM Narendra Modi and chief minister Basavaraj Bommai”.

Lashing out at Congress, the BJP veteran said: “When in government, the party tried to divide Veerashaiva-Lingayats and did not give any importance to the community. Now in the opposition, Congress is playing appeasement politics. They are trying to instigate Veerashaiva-Lingayats against BJP.”

Lingayats are said to be miffed with BJP for forcing Yediyurappa to step down as CM and denying tickets to former chief minister Jagadish Shettar and former deputy CM Laxman Savadi, who have since joined Congress.