Lingayat seer says community leaders should be given preference for CM, Deputy CM posts

CHIKKODI: A day after Vokkaliga seer Chandrashekaranath Swami appealed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to vacate the position in favour of D K Shivakumar, a Lingayat seer has said that the community should be given preference for the post.

Speaking at Yadur village in Chikkodi taluk on Friday, Srishaila Jagadguru Dr Channasiddarama Panditaradhya Shivacharya Swami said that if there is a change in the chief minister, the Lingayat community should be give preference. He also said that if the number of deputy chief ministers is increased, Lingayats should be considered and that more number of Lingayats should be made ministers.

“There is a lot of political developments happening and there is discussion about changing the chief minister and to give other an opportunity. There is also talk about increasing the number of deputy chief ministers. In such a situation, Lingayats should be considered”, he said.

The seer said the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community had voted decisively and that leaders like M B Patil, Eshwar Khandre, S S Mallikarjun and Shamanur Shivashankarappa should be considered for deputy CM as they have political experience.

Dr Channasiddarama Panditaradhya Shivacharya Swami said the issue has already been discussed with the jagadgurus of Kashi and Ujjain. “If there had been any understanding reached during the formation of the government, it should be followed. Whenever any party has ignored Veerashaiva-Lingayats, it has faced the bitter fruits of its actions. To maintain the trust of the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, they should not be ignored”, he added.