A prominent Lingayat seer on Monday announced his decision to contest as an independent candidate against Union Minister Pralhad Joshi in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party leader of misusing the Lingayat Maths and causing disrespect to them to stay in power.
Fakira Dingaleshwar Swami of Shirahatti Fakkireshwar Math said he has decided to fight the election as an independent from Dharwad Lok Sabha segment against Joshi. The seer also accused Congress of neglecting Lingayats after coming to power, and not giving suitable positions to leaders of calibre from the community.
Responding to the Swami’s decision, Joshi said: “There is no reaction to Dingaleshwar Swami… whatever he says, it is blessings for me.”
“I am announcing my candidature as an independent from the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency. As you are aware, the national parties have announced their candidates and people in the Dharwad constituency and nearby segments feel that both parties have entered into election fixing like match fixing,” Dingaleshwar Swami alleged.
“While the two parties have fielded their candidates, voters of Dharwad have decided to field me as their candidate. This is a ‘Dharma Yuddha’ declared by those who value their dignity and ‘Kaavidhaaris’, against two national parties and selfish politicians,” the swami said, adding, he is entering politics to create political awareness among people.
A few seers in the Dharwad region, especially those from Lingayat community, met in Hubballi on March 27 under the leadership of Dingaleshwar Swami and asked BJP central leadership to replace Joshi as candidate. They had given the party time till March 31 to decide.
At that meeting it was decided that “like in the north”, Swamijis in the south too should work in the political field and contest elections.
Lingayats are said to be the majority among voters in the Dharwad segment, while Joshi, a four-time MP, is a Brahmin.
Claiming that BJP did not give tickets to various communities like Kuruba, Reddy, Ambigas and Lambanis, the Swami pointed out that veteran BJP leader KS Eshwarappa’s son KE Kantesh too was denied ticket from Haveri, and he was “betrayed”.
He alleged that BJP denied opportunity to leaders from several big communities to contest, but has given three tickets to those from the community that has very less population.
He, further, said: “I am not anti-Brahmin, however, several people from Joshi’s community have contacted him, extending their support.
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