Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa has said it will be a mistake for the Veerashaiva community to vote for the Congress again as the party "insulted" its tallest leader Veerendra Patil, who had served as chief minister twice.

"It will be a mistake on the part of Veerashaiva community members living in this part of the state if they vote for the Congress, which had heaped insult and brought ignominy to their leader Veerendra Patil, who had helped the Congress win about 178 seats in Karnataka," Yeddyurappa told a public gathering in Kalaburgi district's Kalgi village on Tuesday.

He was campaigning for the party candidate for the Chincholi Assembly bypoll.

Patil, who hailed from the Veerashaiva community, was the chief minister twice -- from 1968 to 1971 and from 1989 to 1990.Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa has said it will be a mistake for the Veerashaiva community to vote for the Congress again as the party "insulted" its tallest leader Veerendra Patil, who had served as chief minister twice.

"It will be a mistake on the part of Veerashaiva community members living in this part of the state if they vote for the Congress, which had heaped insult and brought ignominy to their leader Veerendra Patil, who had helped the Congress win about 178 seats in Karnataka," Yeddyurappa told a public gathering in Kalaburgi district's Kalgi village on Tuesday.

He was campaigning for the party candidate for the Chincholi Assembly bypoll.

Patil, who hailed from the Veerashaiva community, was the chief minister twice -- from 1968 to 1971 and from 1989 to 1990.

He was born in a middle-class family in Chincholi in Kalaburgi district.

The bypoll to Chincholi has been necessitated by the resignation of sitting member Umesh Jadhav, who quit the Congress to join the BJP. Jadhav was the BJP candidate from the Gulbarga Lok Sabha seat.