At His ‘birthplace’, BJP gets a ride on Hanuman’s shoulders, but climb too uphill

All of the Hindu castes in the region are Hanuman devotees. (Express)

“There is no big issue here with God Hanuman. He is very revered,” says Hanumesh, taking his eyes off his phone. But, he adds, “elections are being fought on other issues. It is Congress candidate Iqbal Ansari who is the favourite to win here because the party is offering many guarantees to the poor.”

A kilometre away, in the heart of Anegundi village, local trader Raghu Kumar differs. “The BJP was lagging in this region until the Hanuman issue was raised. It has given the BJP a boost and there is a three-way fight now between the Congress, the BJP and (BJP rebel) Janardhan Reddy,” he says.

It was at a rally at Hospet in Vijayanagara district, just about 40 km from this village, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 2 first suggested that the Congress promise of action against the radical right-wing group Bajrang Dal was an insult to Hanuman. “First they (the Congress) locked up Lord Ram (alluding to the Ramjanmabhoomi row) and now they have vowed to lock up those who chant ‘Jai Bajrang Bali’,” Modi said.

There are over 350 temples dedicated to Hanuman in the Koppal and Vijayanagara districts. Once these were part of the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire that patronised Hindu culture. Now, this region, falling in Kalyana Karnataka, is the state’s most backward in terms of human development indices.

A small Hanuman temple at Anegundi. (Express)

The profusion of Hanuman temples – one for every caste — is on account of the belief that this is the birthplace of Hanuman. The Anjaneya Temple dedicated to the God, located on the Anjanadri Hill in Hanumanahalli village — next door to Anegundi — has been converted into a major pilgrimage site after the incumbent BJP state government put its official seal on it, saying Hanuman was born atop the Hill.

In August 2022, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai performed prayers at Anjaneya Temple and reiterated that Anjanadri Hill was Hanuman’s birthplace. “I can say this a thousand times,” he said. Earlier this year, he visited the temple and said that “no evidence is needed beyond historical faith”, that Hanuman was born there. In his last Budget this year, Bommai allotted Rs 100 crore “to provide basic facilities to tourists” at Anjanadri Hill.

While states like Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Maharashtra too lay claims to hosting the birthplace of Hanuman, the fact that the Karnataka claim has not been opposed by anyone suggests it is acceptable, admits a senior Congress leader from the region.

Many houses in the two districts now sport flags bearing the image of an aggressive-looking Hanuman, while curio shops have sprung up in Anegundi and on the Anjanadri Hill selling Hanuman merchandise in the form of T-shirts and flags to tourists.

Now, Hanuman also looms large over elections to the two Assembly constituencies falling in Koppal.

The Anjanadri Hill and Anegundi ruins fall within the Gangavathi seat, and the battle here is between former Congress MLA Iqbal Ansari, sitting BJP MLA Paranna Munavalli, and former BJP leader Janaradhan Reddy. One of the three Ballari mining baron brothers, who is exiled from the district, he is contesting this time on a ticket of the party floated by him, Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha (KRPP).

Over the last three polls, the seat has alternated between Ansari — who was earlier with the JD(S) — and Munavalli. Up against anti-incumbency, Munavalli has gained since the Hanuman issue was raised, locals say.

Raghu Kumar of Anegundi says that given how active the KRPP is, it is set to give a tough fight to both the other parties.

Basavaraj K H, a police officer on duty at the site of the Anjanadri Hill temple, also says the BJP has received a boost, due to the Hanuman row and visits to the region by Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. In his campaign speeches, the UP CM often drew a link between UP and Karnataka, with the former the “home of Ram” and the latter “of Hanuman”.

On Monday, right-wing social media ideologue Sulibele Chakravarthy came calling at the temple.

The other constituency, Koppal, is also seeing a three-way fight, between the Congress, BJP and JD(S). Many locals believe the favourite is JD(S) candidate C V Chandrashekhar, a BJP rebel who switched parties after he was denied a party ticket. The BJP has fielded Manjula Amaresh, the daughter-in-law of the BJP MP from Koppal, Karadi Sanganna.

The Congress has fielded K Raghavendra Hitnal, its two-term MLA and a close associate of former CM Siddaramaiah, who defeated Sanganna in 2013 and 2018.

Hitnal is expected to retain his core base in the May 10 polls, but is expected to face a tough fight from the JD(S) candidate.

Nearly 25% of Gangavathi constituency’s population comprises Lingayats, who typically back the BJP, while 20% belong to backward castes like Kurubas, who are allied to Congress leader Siddaramaiah. Muslims make up nearly 15% of the numbers, while the 20% comprising SC/ST communities are split between the BJP and Congress.

In Koppal seat, nearly 30% of the population are Lingayats and 30% Kurubas, while the proportion of Muslims and SC/STs is the same as in Gangavathi.

All of the Hindu castes in the region are Hanuman devotees.

Many in the Congress admit being dismayed after Modi’s speech opened a line of attack based on the God against the party. But now, the leaders say, they are less alarmed. “People have strong feelings over the issue, but they are not going to change their voting decision on the basis of it. This is the position as of now,” a Congress leader said.

Yemunarappa, a gram panchayat member of Huligi village near Anjanadri Hill, agrees. “Emotive and religious issues do not fill the stomachs of the poor. It is the guarantees of the Congress and the candidate that will be decisive,” he says.

A BJP leader also feels the Congress need not be worried — if not for the same reason. “The Bajrang Dal issue will benefit the Congress overall. In places where the JD(S) has weak candidates, Muslims will vote en masse for the Congress. It will not really help the BJP as the Hindutva vote is already with the party,” the BJP leader says.