Bengaluru: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is reportedly uneasy about the chances of his son, Nikhil, winning from Mandya this Lok Sabha poll as the ground reports of local party workers suggest he may find it tough going in the constituency despite the JD(S) sweeping all the seven Assembly segments in the district in the May 2018 poll.
The fact that Nikhil is having to contend with the challenge from Ms Sumalatha Ambarish, wife of former MP, M.H. Ambarish, for whom support is reportedly growing in the constituency has not escaped Mr Kumaraswamy's attention.
Should she decide to contest as an independent with the support of the local Congress workers, Nikhil’s chances could be bleak, note party insiders. The defiance of the taluk and block office-bearers of the Congress in accompanying Ms Sumalatha across the district has not gone down well with the Chief Minister, according to them.
With the negative reports pouring in, Mr Kumaraswawmy was closeted with party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, and ministers C.S. Puttaraju and Sa Ra Mahesh, to discuss the situation in Mandya on Tuesday. Though the JD(S) ministers and legislators tried to set his worries at rest, Mr Kumaraswamy remained apprehensive about his son’s future owing to the response to Ms Sumalatha in the district, where the sympathy factor seems to be working in her favour, going by sources.
The absolute lack of cooperation from district Congress leaders, who even boycotted a meeting convened by energy minister, D K Shivakumar to seek their support for his son, has added to his discomfiture, they reveal. Many are now beginning to wonder if the CM will go ahead and field his son from Mandya.
A file photo of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy with his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy.
Facing flak for promoting his son, Mr Kumaraswamy said those posting on social media are not voters. A social media campaign titled "Go back Nikhil" had gained momentum in Mandya a couple of days ago to oppose the "dynasty politics" of the Deve Gowda family.
The real voters are in villages and it is they who will decide, he added. Claiming that there was a "systematic" campaign against Nikhil's candidature, he said several top political leaders, including Yeddyurappa and himself, were born elsewhere, while their political activities were in a different town.
“Pro and contra views will be everywhere. Several leaders who were born somewhere, have won from elsewhere and have become members (of Parliament and assembly),” Kumaraswamy said to a query about the opposition to Nikhil’s candidacy.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr Kumaraswamy said Union Minister Sadananda Gowda, who was born in Mangaluru, has become an MP from Bangalore North, Yeddyurappa, born in Mandya, was doing politics from Shivamogga, and he, born in Hassan, was doing politics in Ramanagara. "Anyone can contest from anywhere. I can understand what all is happening systematically as though there was opposition in Mandya (to Nikhil's candidacy)," he said. His family will never misuse the love and affection of the people of Mandya with whom they have a bonding for several years now, Kumaraswamy said, adding, “people there will decide, not any political leader or anybody.”
He said, “We will go before the people, and people will decide....those commenting on social media or Facebook are not voters, voters are in villages. Village voters will decide." The opposition is simmering against Nikhil's candidature in Mandya, as many who claim to be JD(S) supporters have hit out at the party leadership for sidelining loyal party workers to favour someone from their family, despite not being involved in party activities in the district.
Many within the JD(S)' alliance partner Congress in Mandya are also opposing Nikhil as they are against the grand old party's decision of denying the ticket to Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of late actor-turned politician Ambareesh, and ceding the seat to the regional partner. However, Sumalatha has made it clear that she would contest the polls from Mandya, which was earlier represented by Ambareesh. On seat sharing with the Congress, Kumaraswamy said it was likely to be finalised in three or four days. "Our party leaders will decide on seat sharing," he said. "Everything will be finalised in three or four days... things have become clear as nominations have to be filed in a week's time," he said in response to a question.
According to party sources, the Congress may concede a maximum of eight out of the total 28 seats to the JD(S) but the constituencies are yet to be finalised. JD(S) patriarch Deve Gowda had demanded at least 10 seats during a recent meeting with Rahul Gandhi. While it is clear that Hassan and Mandya, where the JD(S) has sitting MPs, will go to the party along with the Shimoga seat, where Gowda has already declared former MLA Madhu Bangarappa as the candidate, both parties need to finalise on the rest of the seats.
Sharing of seats from old Mysuru region is expected to be an acid test for both the parties, as the JD(S) considers it to be its bastion and the Congress has its sitting members from most of the seats there.
