Politicians now hope sheep will bring them luck

Hubli: Come polling day and shepherds will not be tending to their sheep in many parts of Dharwad district and not just for the obvious reason of casting their vote.

It will be their turn to be shepherded to polling booths by political parties wanting to make an auspicious start to the day in places like Kundagol, Navalgund and other Assembly constituencies. Candidates and their loyalists believe that if a shepherd exercises his franchise first in their favour, luck will follow and others will too.

The belief has its roots in the story that saint Revanasidda , a Kuruba, performed several miracles like bringing rain during severe drought, more than a century ago. His ardent devotees began to start all auspicious work in the presence of a shepherd after the saint passed away.
The practice soon extended to polling day.

Now parties perform a grand pooja with coconut, camphor, vermilion and flowers, to the polling booth in the presence of a shepherd before voting begins. Although the Election Commission has forbidden these poojas at polling booths the tradition is common during the elections to local bodies, gram panchayats and co-operative institutions.

"The candidates in the fray perform pooja with our help as they believe it will bring them victory. A shepherds always casts the first vote. Merchants also consider it a good sign if we are their first customers when their shops open for the day,” says former Annigeri Town Municipal vice-president and Kuruba leader, Lingappa Baddeppanavar.

“A member of the Kuruba community, usually a Congress loyalist or a party worker, votes first in Yaraguppi village of Kundagol taluk which local MLA C S Shivalli hails from. We firmly believe that the tradition will bring our candidate good luck these Lok Sabha elections,” says Kundagol taluk block Congress president, Dayanand Kundur.