Vokkaliga seer backs Shivakumar as CM: How mutts hold sway in Karnataka politics

Sri Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji has backed Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s elevation as the next CM.

Whenever there is a political crisis in Karnataka, seers from various mutts or religious institutions have extended support to the embattled neta or party. It is no different this time.

Amid the ongoing power struggle in Karnataka, Sri Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji, the pontiff of the influential Adichunchanagiri math, has backed Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s elevation as the next CM of the state.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the seer expressed confidence that the Congress high command would take an “appropriate decision” given Shivakumar’s long service and loyalty to the party.

His remarks come amid speculation of a possible change of guard as the Karnataka government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20. The “2.5-year formula” for power-sharing, as some of Shivakumar’s supporters claimed was promised at the time of government formation, is at the heart of the Congress government's leadership crisis in Karnataka.

Why did Adichunchanagiri mutt back Shivakumar?

In Karnataka, various mutts are followed by different castes and communities such as Lingayats, Vokkaligas, Kurubas, Valmikis, Nayakas and Madigas.

Shivakumar is a key leader from the Vokkaliga community with a strong base in old Mysuru. Clarifying that Shivakumar did not speak to him on the CM tussle, Swamiji said the mutt is a centre of faith for the Vokkaliga community.

The seer said the Vokkaliga community has contributed leaders across all major parties. "In the 2023 Assembly polls, people from the community voted, hoping one among us would become CM. It didn’t happen then. There was hope it would happen after 2.5 years, but that too now seems unlikely. If it doesn’t happen, it will sadden thousands of devotees of the mutt,” he said.

Calling the current "confusion" over leadership unhealthy, the seer said the Congress brass should provide clarity.

"Shivakumar should become the CM after 2.5 years—this is both my opinion and that of the devotees," he said.

What did seers say in 2024?

Last year, at an event marking the birth anniversary of Kempegowda, Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swami of the Vishwa Vokkaligara Mahasamsthana Mutt said Shivakumar should be made the CM.

Shivakumar and other Congress leaders requested seers not to make comments regarding the internal affairs of the party. Hwover, soon seers offered recommendations on the composition of the Karnataka cabinet.

Channasiddarama Panditharadya Shivacharya of the Sreesaila Peeta, a Lingayat mutt, said if the CM is changed and additional deputy chief ministers are appointed, then Lingayats should get more representation in the cabinet. A section also backed Siddaramaiah as the CM.

The Socio-economic and Educational Survey in 2015 pegged the population of Veerashaiva-Lingayats at 11% and of Vokkaligas at 10.29% of the state’s population.

Seers and other parties

Ahead of the 2023 Karnataka election, BJP made attempts to woo Nirmalanandanatha Swami of Adichunchanagiri math of the Vokkaligas to make inroads into the community and the Old Mysore region. It has been the domain of the Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress parties.

In July 2019, when the HD Kumaraswamy-led government was unstable, heads of two Vokkaliga mutts warned that they would not tolerate destabilising efforts against the CM of their community.