Dharwad: Relief for Pralhad Joshi as Seer withdraws from fray

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday got a big relief with local Lingayat mutt head Fakir Dingaleshwara Swami withdrawing his nomination as an independent candidate in Dharwad.

The Swami’s authorised agent met the election authorities and submitted a letter announcing the Swami’s withdrawal from contest. The mutt head has not revealed the reason why he was stepping aside from the contest, but said he was doing so based on his Guru’s advise.

He said he has not decided who to support, as of now.


Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a post on X said he appealed to the Swami to withdraw from the race and instead support the Congress as the mutt he heads was known for its secular values and the Congress needed his support.

That leaves BJP’s and Congress party’s Vinod Asuti in the fray as major players.

The Swami, who heads the Fakireshwara Mutt at Shirahatti, had urged the BJP to replace Joshi accusing him of trying to suppress Lingayats in the region, a charge the minister rebuffed.

Joshi, a Brahmin, is seeking election for a fifth successive term from Dharwad, with Lingayats throwing their weight behind him.

Joshi rode to political fame and helped the BJP cement its position in the region by leading a movement to hoist tricolour at the Idgah Maidan in Hubballi in the early 1990s. He has been winning with Lingayats throwing their weight behind him.