Cong, Lingayat leaders warn of backlash if Yeddy is replaced

July 20, 2021 14:13

Amid heightened buzz within a section of the ruling BJP that the exit of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa was on the cards, community factor seems to have come to the fore, with prominent Veerashaiva-Lingayat political leaders across party lines and seers throwing their weight behind him.

Several seers and leaders of the dominant community, which is estimated to form about 16 per cent of the states population, have cautioned the BJP against any move to dislodge the 78-year-old Lingayat strongman from the Chief Minister's post.

The Veerashaiva-Lingayat community is considered to be the BJP's core support base. With a new round of speculation on whether replacement of Yediyurappa is round the corner, senior Congress leader and the head of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, said the community is behind the Chief Minister.

"They (BJP leadership) should remember history-- S Nijalingappa, Veerendra Patil, J H Patel and S R Bommai (all former Chief Minisyers). They will destroy themselves if they attempt such a thing," Shivashankarappa said in response to a question on reports that BJP is mulling replacing Yediyurappa.

Stating that the community wants him to continue as the Chief Minister, he said, "Yediyurappa has built the party from scratch. "Veerashaiva Mahasabha is behind him...as long as Yediyurappa is there, they (BJP) will be there. If Yediyurappa is disturbed, things will end there," he said. Another prominent Congress leader from the Lingayat community and former Minister M B Patil has warned that the BJP may face the wrath of Lingayats, if they "ill treat" a tall leader like Yediyurappa.

"BJP should value the contribution of Yediyurappa and treat him with dignity. This is my personal opinion, understanding that the proposed changes may be internal matters of the BJP," he said.

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