BSY ORDERS SETTING UP OF VEERASHAIVA-LINGAYAT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Tuesday ordered the formation of the Karnataka Veerashaiva-Lingayat Development Corporation (KVLDC) with immediate effect. The order came a day after a group of ministers and BJP MLAs led by Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi called on Yediyurappa demanding the setting up of KVLDC.

The demand came against the backdrop of Yediyurappa’s order to establish the Karnataka Maratha Development Authority earmarking Rs 50 crore. In the order, he said, “The state has a huge population of Lingayats, of which there are people who are economically, socially and educationally backward.”

Since there is a need to set Karnataka Veerashaiva-Lingayat Development Corporation for the all-round development of this community, it is ordered to immediately set up this corporation, the Chief Minister, who himself belongs to the Lingayat community, said in his order.

The decision to set up the KVLDC and Maratha Development Authority is seen as an attempt to woo the Marathas and the Veerashaiva-Lingayat communities who are in a sizeable number in the Basavakalyan Assembly constituency, which will go to polls shortly following the demise of the sitting Congress MLA B. Narayan Rao two months ago in Bengaluru due to Covid-19.

The Congress, however, disagreed with the demand for a KVLDC saying that it will not serve any purpose. Instead, there should be reservation for the Veerashaiva-Lingayats in education and government jobs.

The Congress MLA and former minister, M.B. Patil, who had spearheaded the campaign for separate religion status to the Veerashaiva Lingayat sect said the VLDC will not serve any purpose. Instead, he demanded a 16 to 18 percent reservation based on the Lingayat population in the state.