Many Lingayat leaders willing to join Congress, says party's Karnataka chief Shivakumar

Kalaburagi (Karnataka) [India], July 17 : Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar on Saturday claimed that many leaders belonging to the Lingayat community are willing to join the Congress party.
Senior Congress leaders of the region, Ishwar Khandre and MB Patil who were also present said that many BJP leaders from the Lingayat community are ready to join Congress.
Briefing mediapersons here, Shivakumar said, "Lot of Lingayat leaders and workers in BJP are keen to turn the face towards Congress. MB Patil and SR Patil moved in a separate path to attract the BJP leaders and workers to the Congress party. Eshwar Khandre is also a dominant Congress leader and is also Lingayat. The BJP has a misconception that it has a complete hold over the Lingayat community, but it is not true."
Attacking the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa-led government in Karnataka, he said there is an instability in the Karnataka state government for the last one year and it is hampering the administration.