"Congress Tried To Break Lingayat Religion": Karnataka's Basavaraj Bommai

After the exit of three senior Lingayat leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said that the incumbent BJP Government had rendered justice to all the communities including Lingayats.

This comes after three senior leaders Jagadish Shettar, Laxman Savadi and Ayanur Manjunath left the BJP as they were denied tickets by the party and joined Congress ahead of the elections.

Talking to reporters in Bhalki in Bidar district, he said, "BJP Government has rendered justice to all the communities including Lingayat and ensured recognition to all of them. Congress government tried to break the Lingayat religion."

"No lingayat leader of Congress has been made the chief minister of Karnataka in the last 50 years, except S.Nijalingappa. Everybody knows how badly Veerendra Patil was dealt with by the Congress leaders," he added.

Hitting out at Congress, Chief Minister Bommai said, "Congress Party is shedding crocodile tears. The disintegration of society has happened by them. Everyone knows which party has given leadership to whom. We haven't done any damage to society. When there is no damage from our side what is there to control".

Earlier on Wednesday, Ayanur Manjunath, a former BJP MLC and a prominent Lingayat face resigned from the party over the denial of the ticket from the Shivamogga constituency and joined the JD(S).

Mr Manjunath said that his first preference was the Bharatiya Janata Party followed by Congress and JD(S) for contesting the elections.

Today is the last date for filing nominations, and the last day to withdraw nominations is April 24.

Karnataka Assembly polls will be held on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)