Congress eyes influential Lingayat community in Karnataka

Seeking to woo the influential Lingayat community ahead of Karnataka Assembly elections, Congress appointed Veerana A Mathikatti, a prominent Lingayat leader from north Karnataka as head of the party's Campaign Committee.

Former Minister D K Shivakumar, a close associate of senior leader S M Krishna, has been made Co-Chairman of the Committee.

Ramesh Kumar K R, former Chairman of the Legislative Assembly, was made Chairman of the Manifesto Committee. AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi made the announcement.

Mathikatti, a former Chairman of the state Legislative Council, hails from north Karnataka, a region from where Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar, also a Lingayat, comes from.

Congress is seeking to attract the Lingayats, an influential community in the state, after parting of ways by B S Yedyurappa from BJP. Yeddyurappa is known as the most prominent leader from the community.

Party chief Sonia Gandhi had visited Siddhaganga Math, which has considerable influence among Lingayats, last year.

Elections in Karnataka are due by June.

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