Ahead of polls, Lingayat forum extends support to Congress in Karnataka

Bengaluru: In a major boost ahead of the Karnataka assembly polls on May 10, a section of the Lingayats has offered to support Congress. According to the news agency ANI, the Karnataka Veerashaiva Lingayat forum has issued an official letter of support to the Congress and has asked other community members to support the Congress.

It is estimated that Lingayats have influence in as many as 100 constituencies in the northern districts of Karnataka and both Congress and the ruling BJP have been trying to woo them ahead of the polls.

On Friday, Jagdish Shettar, Congress leader and a prominent Lingayat in the election fray, met with seers of the community in Hubbali to seek their support for the party. Shettar is a former chief minister who recently joined Congress after being denied a ticket from the BJP.

In the current assembly, the BJP holds 52 seats from Nothern Karnataka, while the Congress has 32 seats and the JDS six.

But with many Lingayat heavyweights joining the Congress ahead of polls on May 10, political experts believe that BJP might find it tough to retain these seats.