Congress MLA Shamanur wants fair representation to Veerashaiva Lingayats in Cabinet

The 92-year-old Congress MLA, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, appealed to the AICC for the inclusion of Jagdish Shettar into the Cabinet despite his poll debacle, citing that he was instrumental in shifting Lingayat votes to Congress

Bengaluru: Veerashaiva Lingayats had supported the Congress party in several assembly seats during the Karnataka elections. Hence, a large number of Lingayat community MLAs were elected. Now, Akhil Bharatiya Veerashaiva Mahasabha president Shamanur Shivshankarappa, a senior leader of the Congress party, was insisting that the Veerashaiva Lingayat community should be given fair representation in the Cabinet to retain the Veerashaiva Lingayat vote bank.

Shamanur, who dashed off a letter to the Congress party high command to consider the Lingayat community for the post of the Chief Minister, said that Veerashaiva Lingayats should be given more portfolios in the council of ministers. Speaking to ETV Bharat, he questioned what the rest of the caste, who voted for the Congress would do if Siddaramaiah and KPCC president DK Shivakumar were given important posts.

Expressing displeasure, Shamanur said that the Congress high command only discussed the names of former CM Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar for the post of Chief Minister. "A letter was written to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Rahul Gandhi and state Congress in-charge Randeep Surjewala from Akhil Bharatiya Veerashaiva Mahasabha to give the post of Chief Minister to the Veerashaiva Lingayat community," he said.

Jagdish Shettar left BJP and joined the Congress party. The Congress put a lot of effort into bringing him to the party. Responding to a question that the election results were not as expected, Shamanur said that the Congress has benefited a lot from him. He said that they would give him a good post and make him a minister.

Several leaders belonging to the Veerashaiva Lingayat community in the party are also eligible to become Chief Minister, giving reply to this, Shamanur said that there are many contenders, including SS Mallikarjuna, MB Patil, Ishwara Khandre. Asked whether he wants to become a minister, Shamanur Sivashankarappa said that he does not want to become a minister.