Rahul set to launch campaign in Karnataka with visit to Sufi shrine

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will deviate from his Gujarat “temple run” strategy by visiting a popular Sufi shrine in Kalaburagi when he kicks off his Karnataka election campaign on February 13, his official tour plan indicates.

Gandhi had not visited a single Muslim shrine during his threemonth campaign in Gujarat, although he did stop by over two dozen temples there. However, his strategy for Karnataka — which goes to the polls in May — promises to be different.

Gandhi’s visit to the shrine of Khwaja Bande Nawaz, a 13th century Sufi saint, will be part of his tour of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region between February 10 and 13. A Congress stronghold comprising the districts of Ballari, Koppal, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Bidar and Yadgir, it accounts for 40 of the 224 seats in the state assembly. Significantly, only one of the four religious sites likely to be visited by Gandhi is a temple. It is the Huligemma temple in Koppal, which holds special significance for Dalits

Gandhi will also visit the Gavisiddeshwara Mutt and Anubhava Mantapa, two religious sites revered by Lingayats. The Anubhava Mantapa, which was set up by 12th century philosopher Basaveshwara, is believed to be the world’s first Parliament.

A movement demanding separate religion status for Lingayats divorced from the Veerashaiva tradition has gained prominence in the last one year. This community was hitherto a traditional support base for the BJP, whose chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa had backed a slightly different demand (separate religion status for Lingayats and Veerashaivas as an undivided group) in the past.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwara claimed that Gandhi’s decision to visit the two Lingayat religious sites was not politically motivated.

“There is no attempt to play religious politics. He is going there because both Gavisiddeshwara Mutt and Anubhava Mantapa are very dear to people of the region,” he said.

Political analyst Narendar Pani believes otherwise. “The visit to the Anubhava Mantapa is a signal of support to the Lingayats because it is directly associated with Basavanna, who holds higher significance for Lingayats than the Veerashaivas,” he said.

Pani finds Gandhi’s decision to visit Gavisiddeshwara Mutt just as interesting.

“By choosing to drop by a neutral mutt, it appears as if the Congress is trying to avoid alienating the Veerashaivas too,” he said.

BENGALURU:

BSP, JD(S) JOIN HANDS

The BSP and the JD(S) on Thursday announced that they are entering into an alliance to contest the Karnataka Assembly polls.

The alliance would continue in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as well, Satish Chandra Misra of the Bahujan Samaj Party and Danish Ali of the Janata Dal (Secular) said at a press conference. PTI

NEWDELHI: