The issue of separate religious status for Lingayats was a political issue in the 2018assembly . Three ministers and many MLAs of the Congress and JD(S) Coalition Government had taken initiative for the agitation. However, those politicians have left the movement for their own reasons. The demand took a backseat in these five years.
About 1 lakh Lingayats from across state, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and other states are participating at their own cost and contributing funds voluntarily for the event.