Row Over Siddaramaiah's 'Corrupt Lingayat CM' Comment Lifts BJP In Poll-bound Karnataka

The recent controversial comment of Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah about the Lingayat community in India has shifted political momentum towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Following the denial of tickets for the assembly elections, several high-profile leaders from the Lingayat community had quit the BJP, leaving the party on the defensive.

However, the comment made by Siddaramaiah has been seized upon by the BJP as evidence that the Congress has neglected the community since the removal of Veerendra Patil.

When asked about the BJP's stance that a Lingayat should be the next chief minister, the Congress veteran said, "There's already a Lingayat chief minister (Basavaraj Bommai). He's the root of all the corruption in the state."

The BJP argues that Siddaramaiah's statement has demonised the entire Lingayat community, who are the most decisive electoral constituent in the state.

Siddaramaiah clarified that his remark was only targeted towards the chief minister, B S Bommai, who is also from the Lingayat community.

The BJP claimed that he insulted the entire Lingayat community by stating that they are corrupt.

Bommai said it is not right for a former chief minister to make such a statement, and that Siddaramaiah had mocked the Brahmin community in the past.

The Chief Minister accused Siddaramaiah of attempting to break the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community when he was in power. He warned Siddaramaiah that the people of the state would teach him a lesson.

Siddaramaiah has responded by lashing out at the BJP, accusing them of misinterpreting his statements.

He claimed that his comment was specific to Bommai, and that it was being deliberately misinterpreted to suggest that he had insulted the entire Lingayat community.