Khandre emerges top contender for top Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha post | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: Eshwar Khandre, minister for forest, ecology and environment, has emerged as a strong contender to replace Shamanur Shivashankarappa as national president of Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha. The post fell vacant with the death of Shivashankarappa last month and the Mahasabha’s working committee will meet on Jan 19 or 20 to decide on his successor. The position is considered politically significant since it denotes leadership of the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayat community. Lingayats account for an estimated 18% of the state’s 6.5 crore population and are the second largest group after Dalits, who have a 24% share with the combined strength of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Khandre has an enduring legacy as his father Bheemanna Khandre served as president of the Mahasabha for years. Although the names of pontiffs such as Shivarathri Deshikendra Swami of Suttur Mutt and political functionaries like Prabhakar Kore and V Somanna were initially in the reckoning, the mantle looks certain to fall on Khandre, who currently serves as senior vice-president and in-charge president. Khandre was national secretary general till recently and he was made senior vice-president at the behest of Shivashankarappa who reportedly wanted him to be his successor. If appointed, he will be the president for the remaining term of 3.5 years. Khandre said: “As president in-charge and senior vice-president, I am mandated to convene a meeting of the working committee to decide on the new president. The process will be completed by the end of this month.” Shivashankarappa’s demise came at a time when the political situation in the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community was fluid, with raging multiple issues posing a threat to its unity and integration. Progressive Lingayat representatives had revived a movement to seek separate religion status for Lingayats following the principles of Basavanna and a section has even launched the Basava Samskruthi Abhiyana led by Bhalki Mutt pontiff Basavalinga Pattaddevarau. While these representatives argue Lingayats are different from Veerashaivas, the Mahasabha’s view is that the separate religion tag must apply to both Veerashaivas and Lingayats and the new president must convince both factions. “We welcome any person as the new president provided s/he can convince all members about the truth,” said GB Patil, national general secretary, Jagathik Lingayat Mahasabha, that is spearheading the separate religion movement. “And the truth is that Basavanna founded Lingayat principles which are diverse from ritualistic Sanatana Hindu dharma. Veerashaivas must understand this and espouse these principles.” Veerashaivas and Lingayats have entered their religious status differently in surveys — from Hindu, Veerashaiva, Lingayat, Veerashaiva-Lingayat and others — posing a considerable challenge for the new Mahasabha chief. The community’s population figure is likely to be under-reported because of this. Meanwhile, Panchamasalis, the largest Lingayat sub-sect, has revived its demand of 2A category OBC reservation and the new president takes over at a time when BJP is looking to re-consolidate its lost Lingayat support base. Khandre, a Congressman, will have to counter it. “We are mindful of these issues. The Mahasabha will continue to be the vanguard of the community as it intends to take all sections together,” said Khandre.