Seer vs BJP: Local mutt head may pit himself against union minister Pralhad Joshi in Dharwad

A local Lingayat seer is projecting himself as a challenger to Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi as he seeks election for a fifth successive term from Dharwad. The Swami has threatened to take on the minister electorally if the BJP does not replace him by March 31.

Dingaleshwara Swami, a religious leader from the Fakireshwara Mutt in Shirahatti, is most likely to file his nomination paper as an independent candidate.

The swami called a meeting of mutt heads at Hubballi on Wednesday, and set a deadline of March 31 for the BJP to replace Joshi with another leader. The party, however, has politely rebuked his demand.


The seers will meet again on April 2 and take a decision on fielding Dingaleshwara Swami if the BJP does not respond by then.

The seer, who represents the dominant Lingayat community, has been on a warpath against Joshi, for what he called neglect of the community members by the minister. In a chat with the media on Wednesday, the Swami said they were not against any community including Brahmins, but they were not at all comfortable with the Union Minister.

Joshi, a Brahmin, 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.

The MP, however, said he had utmost regard for the Swami and was prepared to apologise to him if he had offended him unintentionally. The mutt that the Swami represents as well as other religious seats always blessed him, he said, while denying the charges that he rejected Lingayats.

Aravind Bellad, the BJP MLA from Hubballi-Dharwad West, also from the Lingayat community, brushed aside the threat and said the community would continue to support the BJP and Joshi would win this time too.