From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jul 17: Legislators, leaders and workers belonging to the politically dominant Lingayat community from different political parties are keen on joining the Congress party, claimed State Congress Chief D K Shivakumar in Kalaburgi airport on Saturday.

Speaking to the media at the Kalaburgi airport, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President said he will give details of leaders willing to join the Congress party in due course at the appropriate time.

Warmly appreciating the rousing reception accorded to him by the party workers and leaders at Jewargi and other places in Kalaburgi district, he said the ruling BJP is mistaken if they think and believe that the Lingayat community is their property. “We have several prominent leaders from the Veerashaiva community such as M B Patil, S R Patil, Ishwar Khandre, Shivananda Patil and many others,’’ he said adding: "There were several other influential leaders in other districts too with mass following.’’

Shivakumar said he will be travelling to different parts of Kalaburgi district as well as Vijayapura and Bagalkot districts on Saturday and Sunday and would be meeting diverse sections of the people and their leaders to understand their problems to chart out a plan of action for framing the party’s struggle.

He said he has already met fisherfolk in the coastal districts and wants to meet representatives of Lambani and other communities and also those eking out their living through traditional occupations.

The KPCC Chief criticised the BJP government and the party leaders for being insensitive to the plight of the people, especially the poorer and vulnerable sections severely affected by the Covid pandemic since last year.

The ministers and legislators of BJP are not meeting people to understand their problems and preventing even the opposition party leaders from meeting people under the pretext of the Covid pandemic, he said and made it clear that Congress party and its workers would do their best to visit people in their houses and understand their problems.

Shivakumar attacked the B S Yediyurappa regime in the State and the Narendra Modi government for their mishandling of the Covid pandemic situation, especially during the second wave and the failures of both the State and Central governments in ensuring vaccination to all the eligible people since March when Modi boasted that India has become the pharmacy of the world in vaccinating not only Indian people but even helping other countries.