Siddaganga Math is considered the center of the Lingayat community, which is seen as the largest and politically most influential community in Karnataka. (News18)
With the May 10 Karnataka assembly elections round the corner, the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur, along with others in the state, is busy with political action and politicians are making a bee-line for them
,Posture‘ or the special seat of the late Swami Shivakumar prominently enshrined at the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur district. And nobody, not even the current seer of the monastery, is allowed to sit on it. Such is the influence Swami Shivakumar, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 111, continues to have on the people of the region.
And as the Karnataka assembly elections on May 10 draw closer, the Math, along with others in the state, has engaged politicians in political action.
Tumkur – known for its educational institutions, mostly run by mutts, for its coconut industry – is just an hour-and-a-half from state capital Bengaluru. And it has the same issues. Residents say they will vote for development and corruption-free governance.
“We want better roads and more infrastructure. Tumkur can become a satellite city for Bangalore. And we will keep this in mind when we vote,” says Srinivas, a young resident.
His friend Subramaniam says, “Besides, I will vote against corruption. I know corruption cannot be eradicated 100%, but the one who shows less corruption…”
These young professionals also believe that Siddaganga Math plays a decisive role in who votes for Tumkur.
“No matter what people say, the fact is that when photographs leaders Swamy, it sends a subtle message that they can vote for whom. So politicians vouch for the Math,” Srinivas tells News18.
Siddaganga Math is frequently visited by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and others. Sitting JDS MLA Gourishankar Swamy left for the Math soon after filing his nomination papers.
The Math is considered the center of the Lingayat community, which is seen as the largest and politically most influential community in Karnataka.
It is no secret that it was BJP leader and former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa who started the practice of using optics to woo the Mutts and consolidate Lingayat votes. When Yediyurappa fell out of favor with the BJP, the mutts, especially in Tumkur, subtly signaled disapproval.
With Yediyurappa not contesting and Jagadish Shettar joining the Congress, the BJP is facing tough competition for the Lingayat vote bank. It is no surprise that the Basavaraj Bommai government recently gave a grant of Rs 1,000 crore to complete the Tumkur Math as well as temples and development works.
The mutt’s office bearers deny any political interest or message. But in a constituency that deeply respects the monastery and its master, the gesture is enough.
The story is the same in other influential monasteries in the state, such as the Suttur Math in Mysore, the Kanaka Guru Peetha in Haveri, or the one in Chitradurga. Most of these are popular among various communities such as Vokkalings or Dalits.
The irony of the political system is such that the call for development and faith co-exist. And in the caste-based battle for Karnataka, politicians know this too well.
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