Congress Strives to Build Bridges with Lingayat Leaders
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Feb 4: With the possibility of dissolution of the State Assembly and snap polls appearing to be very bright, especially after Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s decision of presenting the State’s budget proposals for the year 2011-12 on February 24 – even ahead of the Union Budget on February 28, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee has taken upon itself the task of winning the support of the politically powerful Lingayat community.
The KPCC Chief Dr G Parameshwara, held a meeting with the party’s senior leaders, including MLAs, MLCs and former legislators, in order to assuage the community’s feelings of neglect and sought their suggestions and cooperation for strengthening the party’s oganisational base. Dr Parameshwara, who has started the exercise of meeting different sections of the society and party leaders from different districts, urged the Lingayat community leaders to sort out their differences, if any, and unitedly work for the success of the Congress party.
"You (Lingayat community) have been the strong support base and backbone of the Congress party in the State over the years. There is no question of sidelining or ignoring the interests of the community,” the KPCC chief told the meeting.
Former Deputy Chief Minister M P Prakash, who is highly regarded within the party and even outside, and several other leaders of the Lingayat Community attended the meeting convened in the backdrop of the political uncertainty dogging the Yeddyurappa regime over the various court cases against the Chief Minister in land scam and other corruption cases. ``It is time for the party to gear up for the distinct possibility of snap elections to the state assembly ahead of schedule,” Dr Parameshwar said.
Meanwhile, Dr Parameshwar, in a statement released to the press, criticised the former BJP national president Rajnath Singh for giving a clean chit to the Chief Minister and pointed out that it amounted to condoning the corruption charges against the Yeddyurappa regime.
"The clean chit demonstrates the fact that BJP high command has lost the moral right to ask the chief minister to step down over the alleged involvement in land scams, nepotism and maladministration,” he said. Dr Parameshwara said that it was pathetic that the BJP, which preaches on Hindu values and Raja Dharma had no courage to discipline its own leaders. They also seemed to be ignorant of the public anger against such an attitude, he added.
The former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, who was upset with the pogram in Gujrat would be pained, if he comes to know the misrule of Yeddyurappa in the state, the KPCC chief added.