JP Nadda goes mutt-hopping ahead of Karnataka elections

DAVANGERE: BJP national president JP Nadda embarked on a mutt-hopping spree ahead of the assembly polls, before he culminated his two-day visit to the state.
Nadda visited about seven mutts on Thursday and Friday in Tumakuru, Davangere and Chitradurga districts. The BJP chief's visits are being seen as an effort to reach out to the Lingayat, Kuruba, Dalit and Valmiki communities.
On Friday, Nadda visited the Panchamasali Lingayat Mutt of Panchamasali Gurupeetha near Harihar. After taking the blessing of the mutt seer, Vachananda Swami, Nadda also paid a floral tribute to late Siddheshwara Swamiji at the mutt.
Panchamasalis have been seeking a change in the reservation status and have set a 24-hour deadline for chief minister Basavaraj Bommai to consider their plea after the government changed their reservation category recently.
The BJP chief then visited Kanaka Gurupeetha and received the blessings of Niranjanananda Puri Swamiji. This mutt represents the Kuruba community, which has been seeking ST reservation. The outreach is being seen as an effort to pacify the group.
Nadda then visited the Rajanhalli Valmiki Gurupeetha and met the seer Prasannanada Swamiji. Though the reservation for the ST community has been hiked from 4 to 7 percent, the Valmiki community has been seeking an internal reservation on account of its large population.
On Thursday, Nadda visited the Machideva Madivala Gurupeetha of the Madivala (SC) community, followed by the Lingayat mutts of Taralabalu Sri Jagadaguru Bruhanmutt in Sirigere and the vicinity of the Murugharajendra Mutt in Chitradurga. He also visited the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru earlier in the day.
He also garlanded the statues of prominent historical personalities like Onake Obbava, Veera Madakari Nayaka and Dr BR Ambedkar.
Later, during an interaction with working professionals including doctors, engineers, and lawyers, and at a public rally, Nadda attacked the Congress party. While Congress believes in a "divide and conquer" policy, the BJP has a nationalistic perspective, he said
He again attacked opposition leader Siddaramaiah for equating chief minister Basavaraj Bommai to a puppy, saying it is an insult to the people of Karnataka. "People of this state will certainly teach a lesson to the former CM and the Congress party in the upcoming elections," he added.