BENGALURU: Karnataka’s influential Lingayat community, which has the largest number of legislators, has launched a statewide ‘Basavanna Shakti’ campaign, accusing politicians across parties of exploiting their votes while ignoring — and sometimes undermining — their core beliefs. Murmurs of betrayal have turned into an outcry, with organisers claiming that vested interests are distorting Basavanna’s philosophy to keep the community politically tethered yet ideologically sidelined.
The campaign kicks off with a two-day camp in Hosapete on Saturday and Sunday, spearheaded by the Jagathika Lingayat Mahasabha and other pro-Basavanna organisations, guided by Mahasabha national general secretary and retired IAS officer SM Jaamdar and other prominent leaders. Similar programmes will roll out across districts and key taluks, eventually reaching Bengaluru with the goal of reviving Basavanna’s ideals of equality, dasoha (sharing), rational spirituality and social justice.
Organisers describe the movement as more than religious revivalism, rather it is an effort to reclaim Basavanna’s teachings through books, films and public statements. Many in the community feel their leadership has been too reticent in the face of these assaults.
Speakers at the upcoming camps plan to directly confront elected representatives, who according to organisers, treat Lingayats as little more than a reliable vote bank. “They come seeking votes in the name of Basavanna during elections. Once in power, many become indifferent and even hostile,” a senior organiser told reporters. Several legislators are accused of publicly aligning with figures seen as opposing Basavanna’s egalitarian philosophy.
The numbers highlight the community’s clout — Lingayats wield influence in over 120-130 Assembly constituencies and command more than 50,000 voters in at least 60 seats. Many Lingayat-backed MLAs have won by narrow margins of under 20,000 votes. Organisers say this makes the community’s support decisive, yet it is too often taken for granted.
Jaamdar said Basavanna’s message of egalitarianism and opposition to superstition remains relevant, even as “invisible forces” attempt to reinterpret it. The campaign is not about floating a new political party but building a politically conscious, non-partisan network that holds public representatives accountable to these ideals. Lingayat voters appear unwilling to remain silent spectators.
The Hosapete camp and outreach programmes are expected to serve as a warning that continued exploitation of their numerical strength without genuine commitment to Basavanna’s principles may no longer be tolerated. As the campaign gathers momentum, political circles in Bengaluru are watching nervously. For decades, Lingayat support has been carefully cultivated and managed, but now the community is demanding more than promises.