Rahul visits Siddaganga Matha as Cong tries to woo dominant Lingayats

Sree Siddaganga Matha with a recorded history of 600 years is one of the holiest monasteries for the Lingayat community and has hosted the country’s most influential political leaders including former prime ministers and Presidents.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday visited Sri Siddaganga Matha on the eve of 115th birth anniversary of Sree Sree Shivakumara Swamiji and a day ahead of union home minister Amit Shah launches the 2023 assembly election campaign of the ruling BJP from one of the most influential Lingayat monasteries.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the Matha is being seen as a move to try and reach out to a community that has, in recent times, firmly stood behind the BJP and its leader BS Yediyurappa. (PTI)

Gandhi said: “Basavanna, the 12th century social reformer, had taught us that ‘we are all one, we have to live together without looking at caste, religion and do away with hate’.”

“The brotherhood you teach here, it is very important to the entire country today,” he said in his address to the matha. Gandhi said his grandmother, father and mother had already visited the matha.

“When I came here last time, I had met him (Sree Sree Shivakumara Swamiji). But I am sad that he is not here this time. He is not here, but he has shown us the way and we have to walk on this path, give more education to youngsters and help the poor,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi’s visit to the Matha is being seen as a move to try and reach out to a community that has, in recent times, firmly stood behind the BJP and its leader BS Yediyurappa.

Sree Siddaganga Matha with a recorded history of 600 years is one of the holiest monasteries for the Lingayat community and has hosted the country’s most influential political leaders including former prime ministers and Presidents.

The head of Sree Siddaganga Math is Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamiji was initiated into the holy order in the year 1930 and assumed full responsibility of the matha in 1941.

“It is a matter of great joy that Rahul Gandhiji, a leader of eminence and the icon of youth and a great politician has come over to visit us and our matha. His visit to our matha has a great significance,” Sree Siddalinga Mahaswami, the head of the Matha, said on Thursday. He recalled that former prime minister Indira Gandhi too had visited the Matha and so did Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

“Rahul Gandhiji is an inspiration for the youth and he is playing a key role in the national political scenario,” the seer said.

The blessing or approval by this matha is significant in terms of outreach for political parties and their leaders as they make a beeline before most elections.

Though mathas were traditionally only into social and religious duties, people who are aware of their workings, said there has been a growing involvement of some of these entities in politics especially since the 1980s.

The Congress was unable to secure the support of the dominant Lingayat community, believed to account for almost 15% of the total population, when the then Siddaramaiah-led government accorded a separate religion status to the group barely three months before the 2018 assembly election.

The move was painted as an attempt to break the “Hindu voter base” by the BJP at the time and the Congress’ decision to keep the “Veerashaivas” (a term used for Lingayats and also a sub-sect of the community) cost Siddaramaiah power as the party was reduced from 123 seats in 2013 election to just 79 seats in 2018, forcing the party to form a short-lived alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S).

The BJP and Congress realise the importance of the Lingayat community and have tried to secure their backing as this community has the influence to swing elections in several constituencies across the state.

However, the BJP has been on the backfoot after it forced Yediyurappa to step down in July last year, only to be replaced with Basvaraj Bommai, also from the same community as chief minister.

Yediyurappa is from the Banajiga sub-sect while Bommai is from the Sadara sub-sect of the community, which has forced the BJP to forgo their plans to do away with the heavily caste dependent politics and surge with the Hindutva umbrella.

Yediyurappa is looking to get one back against the BJP as he has entrusted his second son, BY Vijayendra, to be the chairman of the organising committee on Friday to welcome Shah.

The move to hand over the preparations of the programme to Vijayendra is being seen as providing a platform where Vijayendra will not just be positioned as Yediyurappa’s political heir but also a leader of the Lingayat community, believed to be one of the biggest in Karnataka.

Vijayendra is the state BJP vice president and it is no secret that he nurtures ambitions to contest the 2023 state election.