Pradeep Shettar says most Lingayat leaders will soon move out of the BJP

Pradeep Shettar, Belagavi MLC and BJP leader, says Lingayat leaders incl. ex-Ministers, MLA, and former MLA likely to quit BJP due to lack of respect. He denies quitting, but will try to convince senior leaders to give more ticket to Lingayat leaders in LS polls. He believes BJP is neglecting Lingayat leaders and losing sympathy of Lingayat voters, leading to Assembly election loss.

MLC and BJP leader Pradeep Shettar has said that most Lingayat leaders will soon move out of the BJP as they are not respected enough in the party.

Mr. Shettar, who is the younger brother of the former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, told journalists on Sunday that some Lingayat leaders, including former Ministers Shankar Patil Munenakoppa and J.C. Madhuswamy, Member of Legislative Assembly Renukacharya and the former MLA S.I. Chikkanagoudar, are likely to quit the BJP.

He also said that he too is not getting due respect in the BJP. However, he denied suggestions that he will quit the BJP. “I will stay here and convince the top leadership about the importance of maintaining a proper relationship with the Lingayat leadership,” he said.

He said that he will try to convince the senior party leaders that a higher number of ticket are given to Lingayat leaders in the Lok Sabha polls.

“There is no respect for Lingayat leaders in the BJP. We all know how the BJP has treated senior Lingayat leaders like B.S. Yediyurappa and Jagadish Shettar. I am a BJP leader and MLC. But the party does not invite me to party meetings or programmes. I have not been invited for meetings in which party strategy is discussed,” he said.

“What is more, I was not invited to the programme where winners of gram panchayat elections were felicitated, even though I am an MLC elected by gram panchayat members. This has not happened once or twice, but it has been happening repeatedly,” he said.

“The BJP is neglecting the few Lingayat leaders who are left in the party. I do not know why there is such a trend. But I think all this is happening as the BJP is suffering from lack of proper leadership. The present leadership is systematically ignoring Lingayat leaders,” he said.