The political landscape of Karnataka mourns the passing of senior Congressman Shamanur Shivashankarappa, who died on Sunday. He is widely remembered as a stalwart who masterfully navigated the complex terrain between unwavering loyalty to the Indian National Congress and a fierce, independent advocacy for the interests of the Lingayat community. His career spanned decades of significant political and social polarisation in the state, during which he maintained a delicate and influential balance.
The Dual Pillars of a Political Career
Shivashankarappa's political identity rested on two formidable pillars. Within the Congress party, he was an institution, serving as the treasurer of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) for an astonishing period of over thirty years. He was also elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) six times, cementing his place in the state's governance. Parallelly, he was a towering figure in Lingayat politics, holding the presidency of the influential Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha (ABVLM) for a record 13 years, the longest tenure for any president of the organisation.
This dual role required constant negotiation. As RV Deshpande, former KPCC president, noted, there were moments when his responsibilities as a community representative clashed with his duties as a Congress functionary. Yet, Deshpande emphasised that Shivashankarappa was "fearless" in expressing his opinions and never let these conflicts derail his work. His ability to retain the confidence of the Congress high command while forcefully articulating the Lingayat viewpoint was his defining political skill.
Navigating Community Divides and Political Storms
This balancing act faced its most severe test during the intense 2018 agitation, which demanded separate religion status for Lingayats. The movement gained momentum after the then Congress government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, forwarded a proposal to the Central government. The issue deeply divided the community and is often cited as a factor in the party's subsequent electoral challenges.
In this charged atmosphere, Shivashankarappa did not shy away from publicly opposing his own party's chief minister, Siddaramaiah, on the matter. He also raised objections to the caste census conducted by H Kantharaj, echoing concerns shared by Lingayat and Vokkaliga leaders about potential under-reporting of their numbers.
Simultaneously, he worked tirelessly to prevent a fracture within the community itself. He consistently argued that Veerashaivas and Lingayats were inseparable, warning that internal disunity would dilute their collective political influence. To solidify this stance, he was instrumental in renaming the organisation to explicitly include both terms: Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha. Lingaraju, a former youth president of the ABVLM, credited Shivashankarappa's "unwavering leadership" for thwarting organised attempts to create confusion and divide the community.
Evolution of Stance and Cross-Party Influence
In his later years, Shivashankarappa's position evolved. When the state government initiated a fresh socio-educational survey under Madhsudhan R Naik this year, the Mahasabha, under his leadership, declared that the Veerashaiva-Lingayat identity was distinct from Sanatana Hinduism. It appealed to community members to mark 'Other' in the religion column during the survey.
This shift highlighted the ongoing debate within the community. GB Patil of the Jagathik Lingayat Mahasabha offered a contrasting perspective, suggesting Shivashankarappa was initially "naive" about the political motives behind the unity narrative but later came to acknowledge the ideological distinction between Basava's Lingayat philosophy and Veerashaiva traditions linked to Hinduism.
His influence transcended strict party lines. In 2021, he expressed support for BJP leader BS Yediyurappa when the latter was removed as Chief Minister, a move that surprisingly did not damage his standing within the Congress. Ahead of the 2023 assembly elections, he played a pivotal role in consolidating Lingayat support for the Congress and was key in facilitating the high-profile switch of former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar from the BJP to the Congress. His legacy is that of a pragmatic leader whose primary compass was his community, even as he remained a loyal soldier of his party.
