A day after some Lingayat Seers met in Hubballi and set a deadline of March 31 for BJP leadership to take a decision on replacing Prahlad Joshi in Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency, Murugha Mutt issued a statement that the Mutt has never been involved in politics. On the statement of Jagadguru Fakira Dingaleshwar Mahaswami, the Pontiff of Fakkireshwar Mutt, on Pralhad Joshi's candidature, Murugha Mutt said that those were individual decisions of the pontiff and not of the mutt.
According to ANI, Murugha Mutt issued a statement, "We don't endorse or support Dingaleshwar Mahaswami's statement about Pralhad Joshi. Murugha Mutt has been engaged in social services for decades and has never been involved in political activities and finalising candidature is decision of the concerned parties. We don't support Dingaleshwar Mahaswami's statement is an individual decision."
On Thursday, Jagadguru Fakira Dingaleshwar Mahaswami announced that Seers from Karnataka convened discussions regarding Dharwad constituency's MP Pralhad Joshi of the BJP. It was decided unanimously by all Mutt heads to seek a change in the MP. They set a four-day deadline for this decision.
"We will see what the high command does in these 4 days. After that, on April 2, we will come together and tell you about our decision...We are not talking about the individual. The personality of the individual is really bad. Every community is unhappy with him. So, this decision has been taken...We will have to wait till April 2...We are not talking about the party, we are talking about Pralhad Joshi and his personality."