Siddaramaiah later clarified that his remark was aimed particularly on the Chief Minister.

Bengaluru:

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has obtained himself into sizzling water for his jibe on the BJP’s Lingayat push for the upcoming Assembly elections within the state. When requested in regards to the BJP’s stance {that a} Lingayat must be the following Chief Minister, the congress veteran stated, “There’s already a Lingayat Chief Minister (BS Bommai). He’s the root of all the corruption in the state”.

The BJP was fast to launch a scathing assault in opposition to Siddaramaiah, saying he had insulted the whole Lingayat neighborhood. 

Mr Bommai accused him of ridiculing the whole Lingayat neighborhood, although Siddaramaiah later clarified that his remark was aimed particularly on the Chief Minister.

“It is not right for a former Chief Minister to make a statement like this. He has stated that the entire Lingayat community is corrupt. The Brahmin community had been ridiculed in the past. Earlier, he had tried to break the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community when he was the Chief Minister. The people of the state will teach Siddaramaiah a lesson,” Mr Bommai stated.

Siddaramaiah stated there have been a number of sincere Lingayat Chief Ministers who he respects, and the BJP has “twisted and misinterpreted” his comment.

“My comments referred only to Bommai. I only said Basavaraj Bommai alone is corrupt. I did not say Lingayats are corrupt. Therefore, making such a sweeping report is inappropriate. There have been very honest Lingayat chief ministers. There was S Nijalingappa, Virendra Patil and others for whom I have a lot of respect as they were very honest chief ministers. My comments have been twisted and misinterpreted by the BJP,” he stated.

Earlier, former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who not too long ago joined Congress after quitting the BJP as he was denied a ticket, had stated that many Lingayat leaders have left the BJP. A Lingayat chief himself, Mr Shettar stated the BJP’s Lingayat pitch wouldn’t work of their favour and other people won’t imagine their assertion.

“Why have they started it now? Why did they not do so earlier? BJP is doing it only for election purposes, people will not believe in their campaign even if they declare a Lingayat CM,” Mr Shettar stated on Saturday.

Siddaramaiah had on Wednesday filed his nomination from the Varuna constituency for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls, and reiterated that this might be his final election and just about laid out a “succession plan” of types.

The 75-year-old Leader of the Opposition indicated his son and grandson to be his political successors. “This is my last election, after that, there is Yathindra (son), Dhawan Rakesh (grandson)…”, he stated.

Siddaramaiah’s youthful son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah is the sitting Congress MLA from Varuna.

The final day for submitting of nominations is April 20. Voting will happen on May 10 and the counting of votes will likely be on May 13.