How many Lingayat CMs did Cong give Karnataka? Sudhanshu Trivedi

MYSURU: BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi has categorically rejected all allegations that the party has humiliated Lingayat leaders in Karnataka and alleged that it is the Congress party that is guilty of playing the caste card in order to divide society.
In an exclusive interview with TOI, Trivedi, a Rajya Sabha member, said the BJP believes in "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" (with all, progress for all). "I want to emphasize that among the four BJP CMs that Karnataka has had, three were from the Lingayats" he said.
Commenting on senior leader Jagadish Shettar quitting BJP, Trivedi said the party had treated him with due respect. "I want to ask Congress that in the last 50 years, how many Lingayats have they made the chief minister in Karnataka? When Veerendra Patil was the CM, he was humiliated and subsequently removed by former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi," Trivedi said.
"Even a stalwart like Nijalingappa was humiliated by former PM Indira Gandhi. Are they projecting any Lingayat leader as the CM candidate this time around? Congress has humiliated Lingayats and has never promoted the community," he added.
"As far as the caste equation goes, we believe in taking people of every community and every caste together. All the beneficiary schemes of the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi reach the people -- irrespective of caste and creed," he claimed.
Trivedi also rejected allegations that BJP national general secretary BL Santosh was instrumental in the decision to deny tickets to many senior leaders of the party in Karnataka, the led some, including Shettar and former deputy CM Laxman Savadi to quit the party.
"I'm really surprised with this allegation. At one point they say that PM Modi has absolute authority over the party. Now, they are saying that Santosh is deciding the candidates," he added.
He accused the Congress of making unrealistic poll promises, alleging that it had failed to keep its promises in all those states where it is currently in power.