100% certain they will lose: Yediyurappa hits out at Shettar, Savadi

Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday came down hard on BJP turncoats Jagdish Shettar and Laxman Savadi, who recently switched over to the Congress, saying that they will pay for betraying the ruling party in the uncoming Assembly polls.

Shettar, a former chief minister, and Savadi, who formerly served as the depty CM, belong to the Lingayat community which is believed to hold sway over electoral outcomes in the state.

Hitting out at both the BJP deserters, Yediyurappa said, "I call on the people not to cast a single vote for Laxman Savadi and Jagdish Shettar, as they betrayed the BJP despite being entrusted with key portfolios in the government."

"I am 100 per cent certain that both these leaders would lose this election. There is no doubt about it," Yediyurappa told ANI.

The former CM, who is himself a Lingayat stalwart, said not just the Lingayats but all communities in the state were solidly with the BJP. "We will return to power with absolute majority," Yediyurappa added.

The BJP veteran reiterated his earlier announcement of taking out a Vijayotsav (victory rally) in Hubballi.

"With Jagdish Shettar and Savadi certain to lose, about 1 lakh people will gather here and take part in the Vijayotsav here," he said.

The senior Lingayat leader further exuded confidence that Mahesh Tenginkai, the party's candidate from the Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency who is pitted against Shettar, will win the polls.

"I am 101 per cent confident that our candidate Mahesh Tenginkai will win this election," he said.

On claims of a particular community being deprived of governmental benefits, Yediyurappa said, "I have never seen myself as a Hindu, Muslim or Christian. Whatever benefits I extended to the people (during his time as CM) was meant for all the communities, which is why I am now asking all the coomuntiies to show their support for the BJP in this election."

The Lingayat votes have traditionally been a key determinant of electoral outcomes in the state. The community has traditionally sided witn the BJP and several Lingayat-dominated regions of the state are considered to be saffron strongholds.

Lingayats are largely concentrated in north Karnataka, in the districts of Belagavi, Dharwad, and Gadag. They also have a considerable presence in Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Bidar and Raichur.

They also inhabit vast swathes of South Karnataka, especially Bangalore, Mysore and Mandya, in big numbers.

The 224-seat Assembly polls are slated to take place in a single phase on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13.