Karnataka: BJP functionary BJ Puttaswamy becomes mutt pontiff

BENGALURU: Senior politician and former BJP functionary BJ Puttaswamy on Sunday was enthroned as the first pontiff of the newly inaugurated Thaileshwara Ganigara Mahasamsthana Mutt

Puttaswamy (83) was initiated into sanyasa, spiritual life of asceticism, on May 6 and acquired the ascetic name Poornanandapuri Swami. He had received deeksha from Kailasa Ashrama Mahasamsthana Mutt seer

Jayendra Puri

.

The event of Poornanandapuri Swami’s ascension also saw the inauguration of the Poornanandapuri Swami. Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, housing minister

V Somanna

, BJP national general secretary CT Ravi

The new mutt represents the backward

Ganigas

, the oil extracting community, and Poornananda Swami said he renounced the worldly pleasure and political career for the welfare of the community, which has a population of around 13 lakh in Karnataka. The mutt located near Nelamangala on the outskirts of Bengaluru has a community hall and students hostel.

“I had no desire to enjoy political power. As I had always strived for the welfare of the poor and backward classes, I will continue my service to the Ganiga community as the pontiff,” he said.

Identified as a loyalist of former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, Puttswamy was an active functionary of BJP and held the post of vice-chairman of the Karnataka Policy and Planning Commission till he took to sanyasa.

He entered into active politics in 1983 when he was nominated to the legislature council by the then Congress government. He became an MLC for the second time in 2012 and he was the minister for cooperation during Jagadish Shettar regime.