<p>Political leaders were seen jostling for attention at the funeral of the swami when the mortal remains of the departed seer arrived at the spot designated for burial. </p>.<p>Balagangadharanatha swami, over the years, had emerged as the voice of peasants and Adichunchanagiri Mutt has a strong following of the Vokkaliga community in the State.<br /><br />Former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, who at one time was not seeing eye-to-eye with the pontiff, camped at the mutt till the last rites were completed. <br />Former Union minister S M Krishna, Karnataka Janata Party president B S Yeddyurappa, ministers Shobha Karandlaje, C P Yogeeshwara, actor and Congress leader Ambareesh – all made it to the venue. Congress legislator D K Shivakumar and Home Minister R Ashoka did not lag behind. JD (S) State president H D Kumaraswamy and Mandya MP Cheluvarayaswamy, were among those present when the will made by the late swami was read out. <br /><br />Not many leaders except Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and Minister Basavaraj Bommai, from North Karnataka attended the last rites. Shettar, along with Bommai, H N Ananth Kumar, MP and Suresh Gowda, MLA from Tumkur Rural, went to Nagamangala by a helicopter. Other politicians spotted at the venue were Sunita Veerappa Gowda, Jayaprakash Hegde, V Somanna and D B Chandre Gowda.<br /></p>
<p>Political leaders were seen jostling for attention at the funeral of the swami when the mortal remains of the departed seer arrived at the spot designated for burial. </p>.<p>Balagangadharanatha swami, over the years, had emerged as the voice of peasants and Adichunchanagiri Mutt has a strong following of the Vokkaliga community in the State.<br /><br />Former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, who at one time was not seeing eye-to-eye with the pontiff, camped at the mutt till the last rites were completed. <br />Former Union minister S M Krishna, Karnataka Janata Party president B S Yeddyurappa, ministers Shobha Karandlaje, C P Yogeeshwara, actor and Congress leader Ambareesh – all made it to the venue. Congress legislator D K Shivakumar and Home Minister R Ashoka did not lag behind. JD (S) State president H D Kumaraswamy and Mandya MP Cheluvarayaswamy, were among those present when the will made by the late swami was read out. <br /><br />Not many leaders except Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and Minister Basavaraj Bommai, from North Karnataka attended the last rites. Shettar, along with Bommai, H N Ananth Kumar, MP and Suresh Gowda, MLA from Tumkur Rural, went to Nagamangala by a helicopter. Other politicians spotted at the venue were Sunita Veerappa Gowda, Jayaprakash Hegde, V Somanna and D B Chandre Gowda.<br /></p>
