Law Minister J C Madhuswamy has said that the members of Lingayat community voting for non-BJP candidates would amount to a "tight slap" for Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.
Addressing an election meeting for bypolls to Vijayanagara Assembly constituency here on Monday, Madhuswamy said that Yediyurappa had become chief minister on account of "sacrifice" made by disqualified legislators. "It will take another 20 years for a Lingayat to become chief minister again. This political system has never allowed a Lingayat to be chief minister for whole term. Therefore, in order to ensure that Yediyurappa continues to hold his position, society should vote for disqualified legislators," Madhuswamy said.
He said that despite winning 180 seats Veerendra Patil was unseated as chief minister after one year in power. "Such situation should not be allowed to repeat," he said.