JOIN US'It's the beginning of homecoming for Lingayats': M B Patil
The Congress is believed to have faced the wrath of the Lingayats in the last election. This time, the Congress is upbeat after two prominent Lingayats - Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi - quit the BJP and joined the party. This will boost the party’s poll prospects, Karnataka Congress campaign committee chief M B Patil, one of the party’s Lingayat faces, tells
R Shrinidhi.
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Excerpts:
Has the defection of Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi from BJP to Congress strengthened your party?
Certainly. The BJP was boasting of unflinching support from the Lingayat community. But the saffron party used the community only as their vote bank and dumped several leaders after gaining political mileage. Shettar and Savadi have joined Congress; it is the beginning of homecoming for Lingayats.
How will it help the Congress in the Kittur Karnataka region in terms of poll prospects?
Shettar and Savadi are two tall Lingayat leaders. Shettar belongs to the Banajiga sub-sect, which is in sizable numbers in Hubballi-Dharwad, Haveri and also Gadag. Savadi is from the Ganiga sub-sect, which is a prominent community in Yelaburga, Athani, Nippani and parts of Kalyana Karnataka. Their inclusion will boost Congress’ poll prospects in 14-16 constituencies, apart from their own constituencies.
Lingayats still feel the Congress has betrayed them, particularly during Siddaramaiah’s term as chief minister.
The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government did not betray any community. It was a false propaganda by the BJP to gain sympathy. The Congress believes in social justice and has treated all communities equally. After the BJP asked B S Yediyurappa to step down as the chief minister and the recent humiliation faced by Shettar and Savadi, a strong message has been conveyed to the Lingayats that the BJP is betraying the community.
Will Ramesh Jarkiholi factor dent Congress’ vote share in Belagavi district?
There is anti-incumbency in the state and the people have not forgotten how the coalition government was toppled. Ramesh Jarkiholi had engineered the downfall of the JD(S)-Congress government and this time, the people will teach lessons to those who defected from Congress and JD(S).
There are speculations that it will be a hung Assembly again. What is the Congress’ strategy in such a situation?
The BJP government has failed to give good governance. The charges of 40% corruption have already dented the BJP’s image. The Congress is in the driver’s seat and has an edge. Surveys conducted by the party and private agencies have indicated a clear majority for the Congress. We are sure of forming the next government by winning more than 130 seats.
There’s a tough race between Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar for the chief minister’s post.
In Congress, the leader of the legislature party will be elected at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting after the election results are out. The MLAs will decide who the CLP leader should be and the name will be sent to the high command. Including me, there are several leaders capable of becoming a chief minister. There’s Krishna Byre Gowda, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Eshwar Khandre, among others.