Dingaleshwar Swami of Fakireshwar Mutt Shirhatti-Balehosur, who had filed nomination as an Independent from the Dharwad constituency, withdrew from the contest on Monday.
It is said that the seer decided to back out following pressure from the devotees. At a meeting held in the mutt on Sunday night, the seer said he would continue to target Lok Sabha member and BJP nominee Pralhad Joshi. The seer further said that he would support Congress candidate Vinod Asuti.
Sources said that most of the devotees of the mutt were opposed to Dingaleshwar Swami entering politics. They had urged him to relinquish his position in the mutt if he insisted on contesting. They had set April 18 as the deadline for the seer to change the decision.
According to sources, the Swami first sent feelers to some BJP leaders asking them to convince Joshi to speak to him with a formal request to withdraw. When Joshi reportedly refused to budge, the seer contacted Congress leaders who readily obliged.
At a closed-door meeting at a hotel in Hubballi attended by prominent Congress leaders, the seer said he was planning to quit the fray to prevent division of votes and support Asuti so that his objective of defeating Joshi will be realised.
Published 23 April 2024, 01:48 IST