BENGALURU: With Union Home Minister Amit Shah all set to launch the BJP campaign for the Assembly polls in Karnataka on April 1, buoyed by the party’s overwhelming victory in the four states, the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, especially mutts, are keen to project former chief minister BS Yediyurappa and his son BY Vijayendra as the force the party top brass cannot ignore.
To make this point evident to Shah, Yediyurappa will chair the mega event to mark the 115th birth anniversary of Sri Shivakumara Swamiji at Siddaganga Mutt, a prominent Lingayat religious institution, at Tumakuru on April 1. Shah will be the chief guest. Mutt authorities, especially pontiff Sri Siddalinga Swamiji, have made Vijayendra, state BJP vice-president, the reception committee chairman who will deliver introductory remarks. Sri Shivarathrideshikendra Swamiji, the head of another significant Lingayat institution -- Suttur Mutt -- too will be present.
For the last couple of years, the event was a low-key affair, but this time, not less than one lakh people are expected to take part. Sources said Vijayendra would not get a better opportunity to launch himself as the successor of Yediyurappa and also stake claim as the leader of the community.Even as BJP was preparing to replace Yediyurappa with Basavaraj Bommai as chief minister last year, a large group of Veerashaiva-Lingayat religious leaders had come to Bengaluru to show support to the Lingayat leader .
The April 1 event is also significant as central ministers from the state and Bommai will be present to send out a message to the community that it continues to be important in the election scheme of things. Vijayendra told media persons, “We will send out an appeal to the central government to confer the country’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, posthumously to Sri Shivakumara Swamiji.”