BENGALURU: Congress MLC Prakash K Rathod said he was pained by senior Congress leader and former minister Shamnur Shivashankarappa’s remarks that officers from the Lingayat community are not considered for prominent posts in the government.
“Such a statement has pained people from minority communities, Dalits, and Backward Classes who played an important role in bringing Congress to power in the state by voting for the party,” Rathod said.
The Congress MLC said according to a survey, 88% of Muslims voted for the Congress and compared to that only 20% of Lingayats supported the party in the Assembly elections. Despite that, seven ministers in the Siddaramaiah cabinet are from the Lingayat community and only two are Muslims.
“Over 80% of the Lambani community voted for the party and played an important role in the victory of the party candidates in many assembly constituencies. But none from the Lambani community, Uppara, Yadav, or Balajiga are made ministers. In a disciplined manner, the leaders of those communities have appealed to the Chief Minister, KPCC president, and AICC leaders,” he stated.
The Congress leader also said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is taking people from all communities together and providing a good administration. Everyone, including the legislators and the party leaders, should support the chief minister, he added.