Trouble for BJP in Karnataka: Lingayat seer revolts, to contest against Pralhad Joshi from Dharwad

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears to be in trouble in Karnataka due to a revolt from some veteran leaders and seers from the dominant Lingayat community. On Monday, Fakkireshwar Mutt seer Jagadguru Fakira Dingaleshwar Mahaswami announced that he had decided to contest as an independent candidate against BJP's Pralhad Joshi from the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency. The Congress has fielded Vinod Asooti from the seat.

The seer said the Lingayat community built and developed the BJP in Karnataka, but he said there was no social justice in the party in ticket distribution. "In the last Lok Sabha elections, 9 Veerashaiva Lingayat community leaders from our state entered the Parliament but none of them were given ministerial positions. There is no recognition of the Lingayat community even in the Congress party," Mahaswami said.

Former deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka KS Eshwarappa has already announced that he will contest from the Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat as an independent against BS Yediyurappa's son BY Raghvendra. Eshwarappa said that his fight was against the family of BS Yediyurappa, a former Chief Minister and Lingayat strongman.

Eshwarappa has been miffed after the BJP denied a ticket to his son KE Kantesh from the Haveri seat. The veteran leader blamed Yediyurappa for the BJP denying a ticket to his son KE Kantesh from Haveri and instead picking former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai from the seat.

Yediyurappa and his son BY Raghavendra have won the Shivamogga constituency since 2009. Apart from Eshwarappa, Raghvendra will face Geetha Shivarajkumar of the Congress.

Eshwarappa, who belongs to the Kuruba caste, has won the Shivamogga constituency five times. The veteran BJP leader had earlier announced his decision to retire from electoral politics but withdrew it after his son was denied a ticket.