Bengaluru, May 16 (). The tussle for the next Chief Minister of Karnataka has intensified. Meanwhile, the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha has written to the Congress high command, demanding a prestigious (chief ministerial) post for the community.
In its letter addressed to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Mahasabha said their demand should be considered as 34 elected Congress MLAs are from the Lingayat community. It also said that the party had given tickets to 46 candidates, of whom 34 have won.
The letter also states that the community has played a major role in electing MLAs in another 50 seats. The community has switched its loyalty from the BJP to the Congress. Meanwhile, groups from other communities have also come forward and demanded the post of Deputy Chief Minister for their leaders.
Belagavi North MLA Asif Sait has demanded that the post should be given to KPCC working president Satish Jarkiholi. Sait said that Satish Jarkiholi is a leader in North Karnataka. He should be given this position. It has been left to the discretion of the party to give the post of Deputy Chief Minister to senior leader Zameer Ahmed Khan.
Meanwhile, supporters of senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy demanded that he should be given the post. The director of the Karnataka Reddy Jana Sangh said that Ramalinga is the senior most leader of the Reddy community.
He said that Ramalinga Reddy has been elected to the Legislature more times than Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah. He is eligible to be the Deputy Chief Minister. When Yediyurappa was chief minister, he made three members of the community ministers.
He said that we have written a letter to the Congress high command, if they do not respond, the party will face stiff resistance from the community in the coming days.
Members of the Muslim community protested at Gangavati in Koppal district, demanding a post for Congress leader Zameer Ahmed Khan.
FZ/ANM
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