Fakira Dingaleshwar Swamiji Withdraws Dharwad Election, Pledges Support to Congress

Dharwad: On Monday, Fakira Dingaleshwar Swamiji of Shirahatti-Balehosur, who had entered the fray for the Lok Sabha Elections from Dharwad constituency as an Independent with draw from the contest . Swami had entered the fray with a sole end of defeating four- time MP and union minister Pralhad Joshi, criminating the ultimate of suppressing Lingayats and OBCs.

Covenanting that he'd not buckle under any pressure to withdraw from the fray, Dingaleshwar Swami sent his agent Sachin Patil to the DC's office on Monday autumn and with draw his papers. It's said that Swami decided to back out following pressure from Mutt devotees.

On Sunday night, In a meeting held in the Mutt, the Swami said his fight against Joshi will continue and he'd support Congress candidate Vinod Asuti. Sources who were privy to the developments that anteceded the Swami's decision to quit the bean fight said that maturity of the devotees of Fakireshwar mutt were opposed to Dingaleshwar entering politics, who's the "Uttaradhikari" of the Mutt.

They had prompted the Swami to relinquish his position in the Mutt if he claimed on querying. They had set April 18th, as the deadline for the Swami to change the decision, following which the Swami looked for reasons to quit the contest. Sources said he first transferred feelers to some BJP leaders asking them to move Joshi to speak to him with a formal request to with draw. When Joshi reportedly refused to budge, the Swami communicated some Congress leaders who obliged.

At a closed door meeting at a hostel in Hubballi attended by prominent Congress leaders, the Swami is reported to have said that he planned to quit the fray to help division of votes and support Asuti so that his ideal of defeating Joshi will be realised.