3 min readBengaluruApr 21, 2023 12:14 AM IST
First published on: Apr 20, 2023 at 02:17 PM IST
In the light of the Congress building a campaign around the alienation of the dominant Lingayat community in Karnataka with the BJP — following the exit of two senior BJP leaders Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi, both of whom have joined the Congress — Lingayat leaders of the BJP held a meeting Wednesday under the leadership of former chief minister B S Yediyurappa and incumbent CM Basavaraj Bommai to make plans to counter the campaign.
Among the suggestions that emerged from the meeting was for the BJP to announce a Lingayat as chief ministerial candidate in the event of a BJP victory, Bommai said.
“We had a meeting to discuss the current political situation and specifically about the Congress misinformation campaign that the BJP is opposed to Lingayats. We discussed methods to counter this propaganda,” Bommai said Thursday about the meeting. “There are suggestions (that the BJP should declare a Lingayat CM candidate ahead of the polls). The central observer, Dharmendra Pradhan, was part of the discussions, and he has said our views will be conveyed to the party high command.”
Bommai said the BJP is planning a campaign around the historical treatment of Linagayats by the Congress.
“Since 1967, in 50 years, except for Veerendra Patil who was the CM for only nine months, the Congress has not made a single Lingayat leader the chief minister of the state. Secondly, the way they treated Veerendra Patil in the nine months of his tenure is an example of how the Congress treats Lingayat leaders,” he said.
“More than anything else, the Congress set out to break the Linagyat faith itself five years ago. Will people forget that? In order to create a vote bank they set out to break a faith. Tthis heinous act will not be forgotten by the people.” Bommai said.
According to the Karnataka CM, the BJP respects all communities in the state. “All the communities will get respect and stature in the BJP. This is not possible in the Congress party. They have cheated the Dalits, the Lingayats and the backward classes,” he said.
Bommai said the BJP will begin its campaign with PM Narendra Modi launching the same, after the last date of withdrawal of nominations on April 24. “The shape of these programmes is being finalised. There will be rallies, meetings, and in some places, roadshows,” he said.
PM Modi is tentatively scheduled to begin campaigning in Karnataka from April 27.
Lingayat leaders of the BJP held a meeting Wednesday under the leadership of B S Yediyurappa (right) and Basavaraj Bommai (left) (PTI/File Photo) 
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