In Karnataka, a ‘khadi vs khavi’ battle as head of Lingayat mutt takes on BJP’s Pralhad Joshi

In Karnataka, a ‘khadi vs khavi’ battle as head of Lingayat mutt takes on BJP’s Pralhad Joshi

Bengaluru: The Congress party is on the fence over whether to support prominent Lingayat seer Fakir Dingaleshwara Swami’s announcement to contest against Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Pralhad Joshi at Dharwad in northern Karnataka.

The decision of the seer to contest as Independent is being touted by locals as a ‘Khadi versus Khavi’ (saffron robes donned by seers) fight evolving in the northern district.

Congress state president D.K. Shivakumar, who is also the deputy chief minister, has said that he will “discuss” the issue with Siddaramaiah and then take a call to extend support to the seer or not.

Even though the Congress has announced Vinod Asooti as its candidate from Hubballi-Dharwad, it has not overtly ruled out the possibility of backing the seer against Joshi.

“If we are supporting him (seer), we will support him directly itself, why indirectly,” Shivakumar told reporters Wednesday. He added that the Congress, however, has issued a ticket to Asooti.

Northern districts of Karnataka head to the polls on 7 May, and the seer is not holding back against Joshi, a four-time MP.

Dingaleshwara Swami, the pontiff of Shirahatti and Balehosur Bhavaikyatha Sanstana Mutt, commands a significant following in the region. His comments that Joshi has “suppressed” Lingayat leaders and the community has resonated with some sections of the electorate.

“I have been asked by the public …members of all communities, including the Brahmins, people from both parties (Congress and BJP) who were wronged by Joshi, to contest as an independent. Now the same people will take the initiative and ensure my victory,” the seer told ThePrint.

The seer is scheduled to hold a public meeting and a ‘padayatra’ (foot march) from Nehru stadium to Moorsavira Mutt in Hubballi on Thursday.

‘Other Mutts supporting my candidature’ 

In Karnataka’s deeply caste-influenced politics and society, Mutts or monasteries have significant sway over the electorate.

It is not very uncommon for seers to ask members of its community to vote for or vote out a party or candidate. They are also known to adjudicate disputes, give diktats, influence policy, and spearhead reservation demands. In 2011, Siddalinga Swami of Gadag’s Thontadarya Mutt led the protest against the proposal by South Korean giant Posco from setting up a steel plant in the district.

Though expected to remain apolitical, several seers have expressed support for or against candidates during elections.

“Several heads of Mutt project an apolitical stand, bless everyone who visits them…this is not to say that they won’t express support and communicate the same. But all this is done in the background,” said a Bengaluru-based analyst.

Kudalasangama Panchamasali Peeth seer Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami has said that he is yet to take a decision to support Dingaleshwara Swami. “I am yet to discuss this issue with other leaders of our community. Only after this can we make our stand clear,” the seer told ThePrint.

In January last year, Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami had led the Panchamasali protests over unfulfilled demands of including Lingayats into the 2B category of the state backward classes list.

Most caste and sub-caste groups have established their own mutt as a bargaining force to represent the community.

Several Lingayat Mutts have a rich history, run schools, colleges, hospitals and even have boarding, where free education and food is provided to children from different communities.

Joshi has maintained a silence on allegations made by Dingaleshwara Swami nor reacted to the seer contesting as Independent.

“Many leaders of the BJP, like Yediyurappa, Jagadish Shettar, (B.Y) Vijayendra, Rajya Sabha members, ex-ministers have reached out to me,” Dingaleshwara Swami said, adding that his decision to contest was fueled by the “injustice” meted out to various communities who were “pained” under Joshi.

There is anger against Joshi for defeating Vinay Kulkarni, currently a Congress MLA, in 2019. Kulkarni belongs to the dominant Panchamasali sub-sect of the Lingayat community.

There are sections of Lingayats that believe that it was under Joshi’s orders that a “false case” of murder was filed against Kulkarni and sent to jail.

This is not the first time that Dingaleshwara Swami has made news. In April 2022, the seer alleged that the then Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government had demanded 40 percent commission to release funds. His statements lent to the Congress allegations of widespread corruption against the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government, better known as ‘PayCM’, in the run up to the 2023 assembly election.

‘Seer power’ 

In  2023, the Lingayats were seen to side with the Congress over the perceived ‘humiliation’ of its political representatives like B.S.Yediyurappa, Jagadish Shettar and Lakshman Savadi among others.

In 2008, the community backed the Yediyurappa-led BJP enmasse after the Janata Dal (Secular), or JD(S), pulled out its support to the coalition government barely a year ago.

Though caste is a factor in almost all parts of the country, it is not as pronounced as it is in Karnataka, analysts and political observers say.

Dingaleshwara Swami has targeted Joshi, a Brahmin, who was allegedly one of the main conspirators behind the removal of Yediyurappa in July 2021.

Interestingly, it was H.D.Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) who ‘revealed’ that Joshi was to replace Yediyurappa but the BJP decided against it fearing a Lingayat backlash. Subsequently, Siddaramaiah’s protege Basavaraj Bommai became the chief minister on 28 July 2021.

“In the second week of March, at least 100 prominent seers met and took this decision to contest against Joshi,” said one person aware of the developments.

But the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha is yet to take a side.

“We will make our decision public within the next couple of days. But we are unlikely to take sides since we have members of all parties within our organisation,” a senior Mahasabha  office bearer told ThePrint.

(Edited by Tony Rai)