Seers jump BSY ship for DVS

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After being ousted from the Chief Minister's post six months and forced to make frequent trips to courts to fight land scam charges, this was the last thing B.S.Yeddyurappa would have wanted.

His community, the Lingayats, has begun distancing itself from the controversial BJP leader. That the former CM is no longer the favourite of the Maths, became evident last week when he was not invited to a convention of Panchamsalis, a Lingayat sub-sect.

At the convention in Belgaum on February 18, it was Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda who drew accolades from a Lingayat pontiff who remarked that it was the CM's smile which brought BJP to power, not the arrogance of others — a clear snub to Yeddyurappa.

Now comes the move by the powerful Siddaganga math in Tumkur to constitute a trust to build 1 crore shivalingas. Neither Mr Yeddyurappa nor his loyalist, V. Somanna, figure among the trustees.

The remark made by a Lingayat pontiff was sure proof of which way the wind was blowing. While praising the CM, he said, “When the BJP came to power, you were the party president. I told you that it was your smile that brought the BJP to power, not the arrogance or smug attitude of others.”

It was a clear snub for Yeddyurappa and an indication that the Lingayats are slowly distancing themselves from the former CM with the Panchamsalis the first sub-sect to do so in public.

Now comes the move by the powerful Siddaganga math in Tumkur to constitute a trust to build 1 crore shivalingas. Dominating the trust are BJP state president K.S. Eshwarappa and others. Neither Mr Yeddyurappa nor housing minister V. Somanna, considered an ardent supporter of the math, figure among the trustees.

And who are those conspiring to keep BSY away from programmes he would have loved to attend? They are his Shimoga colleague Mr Eshwarappa, minister Balachandra Jarkiholi, former minister Aravind Limbavali and a few party MLAs who have reportedly persuaded the pontiffs not to give much importance to Yeddyurappa.

It may seem an irony that it was Yeddyurappa who generously sanctioned funds for the Veerashaiva Maths and those of other communities for their development.

The Tumkur function saw the installation of a 111 feet wide and 121 feet high Shiva Linga at Siddaganga Math. The event was organised by Kotilingeshwara Pratistana Samiti trust headed by Mr Eshwarappa. The organisers might have deliberately decided to keep BSY away from the programme despite his proximity to the math, sources said.