Udupi: After withdrawing his nomination to contest as an Independent, Lakshmivara Theertha Swamiji of Shiroor Mutt has not been seen in public for a while now.
In the early stages of the assembly elections, he created a stir among people and devotees as he supported Congress MLA
Pramod Madhwaraj in Udupi constituency. Then, he demanded a ticket from BJP, claiming that leaders here are not capable of ruling. When it was denied, he filed his nomination as an independent and till the last moment, he said he wouldn’t withdraw the nomination. However, on last day of withdrawing nominations, he voluntarily pulled out of the fray. Since then, he has been silently campaigning for the BJP candidate.
Asked why he was supporting the BJP candidate when he wasn’t happy with the party, the seer said: “I want Karnataka to have a BJP government. I believe that under the BJP government (and leadership of Modi and Amit Shah), the state can see development. I also know that under the BJP government, we can complete the Ram Mandir project and the Krishna Mutt will see great support and development.”
He added, “Under Pramod Madhwaraj as MLA, development is happening but it’s not reaching people down the line. I keep getting complaints from the public of not having shelter, water and connectivity problems. I extend my help, but I have limitations. It’s the government’s job and government representatives should take care of it. I’ll convince my devotees and people associated with me to vote for BJP. I have to look into the restrictions of the Election Commission so I’m working silently. On Monday, I’ll attend a meeting organized by Sukumar Shetty, BJP candidate from Byndoor constituency.”
Asked if Ragupathi Bhat met to convince him, he said, “I’m not convinced by any candidate here. I have to obey my devotees and close associates. Though he planned to meet me, it hasn’t happened as both of us are busy with our work. I’m not supporting local candidates. My intention is to help Modi win. I attended Modi’s programme in Udupi.”