Slugfest after Kumaraswamy takes BJP leaders to meet seer

Bengaluru In its attempt to consolidate the Vokkaliga vote bank in the southern parts of the state, the leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Wednesday paid a visit to Sri Adichunchanagiri mutt in Vijayanagara to seek the blessings of Nirmalanandanatha seer, who is the head of the Adichunchanagiri Math, to which both Congress leader DK Shivakumar and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy belong.
The delegation included the prominent Vokkaliga leaders in the alliance including Leader of Opposition in the state assembly R Ashok, former chief minister and Mandya Lok Sabha candidate Kumaraswamy, former chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda, former deputy chief minister CN Aswath Narayan, Union minister Shobha Karandlaje, CT Ravi and former minister GT Deve Gowda.
While the NDA leaders sought to get the endorsement of the seer, deputy chief minister and KPCC president DK Shivakumar criticised Kumaraswamy for going with the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leaders, who had allegedly brought down the previous Congress-JD(S) coalition government, to meet a pontiff of an influential math of the community. Following the meeting, Kumaraswamy said, “Following the Ugadi festival, as we embark on the New Year, we’ve come here seeking blessings for the 14 candidates contesting in the initial phase of Karnataka’s elections.”
However, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said the alliance’s move will not help them politically. “I have no issues with them going to the mutt and meeting Swamiji. They did it today, I saw it on TV… Vokkaligas and the seers of the community are not foolish. They (seer) may greet people who come to meet them, garland them and send them back. They (seers) don’t do anything on our behalf or on their behalf, I know that. …the people of the community are watching,” he said.
Adding that the Swamiji should have questioned the BJP about bringing down the “Vokkaliga community CM” (Kumaraswamy in July 2019), the Congress leader said, “I’m not aware whether Swamiji has that much strength to question. Those (BJP leaders) who had gone today (to the math) were the ones who brought down the Vokkaliga CM, no one can hide the truth.”
The Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) coalition government had collapsed in July 2019 after the resignation of 17 MLAs from the two parties. Kumaraswamy and Congress leaders had then accused BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ for the government’s collapse.
Noting that the Congress has given tickets to eight Vokkaligas in this Lok Sabha polls, including two from the Reddy community, Shivakumar pointed out that he too is from the community and is serving as the state Congress president and is the deputy chief minister.
“We are ready for everything, to serve the people, the society and the state. Leaving us, who are in power, our people are not foolish to think about what will happen after four years (next assembly polls),” he said.
Alliance leaders have strongly criticised Shivakumar for his objections to the meeting of BJP and JD(S) leaders with Nirmalananda Swamiji of Adichunchanagiri Mutt. R Ashok said, “Shivakumar seems apprehensive of defeat. He visited a temple in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, and it seems our presence at the Mutt has given him quite a chill. It’s ironic for DK to lecture on morality when he has spoken disrespectfully about Swamiji. He should choose his words about Swamiji carefully.”
Responding to the Shivakumar’s remarks, Kumaraswamy said that there were no political reasons behind the visit. “I have come to pay my respect. It is the Congress that calls itself secular but uses community leaders for politics. What moral rights does he have to talk about secularism?”