Mysuru, Apr 17 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said the BJP is going to increase its stake in North Karnataka, despite the exit of senior leaders Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi.

"Mark my words. Nothing is going to change. We are going to increase our stake in North Karnataka, and we will come back with a thumping majority," Bommai told reporters here.

He wondered why the Congress is concerned about Lingayats who have been ill-treated for the last 50 years. "They (Congress) have ill-treated Virendra Patil and Rajshekhar Patil. They also ill-treated Bangarappa and Devraj Urs. People are aware of their use and throw politics. Congress has not only neglected Lingayats for 50 years, but also neglected Vokkaligas and Backward Castes," he told reporters.

These remarks came in the light of senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala's comments that the BJP is doing injustice to Lingayats and other communities too including Vokkaligas.

"BJP is doing injustice to Lingayat community with bad intentions. They are also insulting Lingayat leaders, and cheating on them. The Bommai government also cheated SC, ST and OBCs. The same fraud was committed in the Vokkaliga community," he said.

Reacting to it, Karnataka Minister CC Patil said Lingayats do not need the sympathy of the Congress as it had been neglecting the community for a long time.

"After the Jagdish Shettar issue, all of a sudden the Congress is expressing sympathy for Lingayats. Yediyurappa, Bommai and V Sommana, belong to which community? I belong to which community? No Congress sympathy is required for Lingayats. Five years back, the Congress wanted to divide Hindus, particularly Lingayats. They have not forgotten this till now," he said.