Bengaluru (Karnataka) : Amid intense lobbying for the Chief Minister's post in Karnataka, the influential All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha on Tuesday urged Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge to consider a leader from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community for the coveted CM position. The apex body of Lingayats also requested Kharge to accommodate or give cabinet berths proportionate to the number of MLAs of the community elected in the Assembly polls.
Mahasabha President, veteran Congress leader and MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa has written a letter to Kharge in this regard. "The Congress party had given 46 seats to the Veerashaiva- Lingayat community. Out of 46 seats contested 34 of our community have won i.e., 74 per cent is the successful rate," Shivashankarappa said.
The Congress leader further pointed out that the Lingayat community has played a major role in electing candidates from other smaller communities in other 50 constituencies. "This shows that the traditional voters of BJP have shifted their loyalty to the Congress party thereby supporting it to win 135 constituencies in the State," he said.
Shivashankarappa said that in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections in 2024, the Lingayats strongly feel that they have to continue their support to the Congress so that the party can win the maximum possible number of MP seats in the state in next year's general elections. Incidentally, no Lingayat leader is among the frontrunners for the CM chair this time.
On the other hand, State Congress President D K Shivakumar (Vokkaliga) and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (Kuruba) are locked in an intense power struggle over who will lead the government. The Congress defeated the BJP and stormed to power by winning 135 seats in the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly.
