Bengaluru: Dancing shoes! While most politicians are adept at skirting around the political road bumps, there's one man who kicks up his heels at any given opportunity. G.T. Deve Gowda, the Higher Education Minister, put his gyrating skills to great use, at the Jayanthi celebration of Naada Prabhu Kempe Gowda, the architect of Bengaluru, in Mysuru on Thursday.
As the beats of traditional drums rang out loud, the minister found it difficult to restrain himself and began to shake a leg to the tunes of 'Dollu' - a popular musical instrument. Dressed in a white dhoti and full sleeve shirt, he was on the street, moving it, in a repeat of his dance performance at a jayanthi celebration for Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Swamiji, pontiff of Suttur Matha, cheered on by hundreds.
Age was no bar for the indefatigable politico - well over 60 but giving younger men a run for their money - when he took part in a marathon organised by the district administration a few months ago. There was a tiny hiccup-he slipped and fell but made it a point to get up and cross the finishing line.
G.T. Devegowda could well find his match in another dancing star-friend turned arch-enemy, former CM Siddaramaiah who hitches up his dhoti and dances at the Siddaramaiah Jathra Mahotsava in his native Siddaramanahundi in Mysuru taluk every year.
It's a sight to behold-the Congress veteran ties the towel around his head, turban style, holds a sword in one hand and dances to the tune of the Dollu. Just as he did in the jathra as a kid.
There are other dancer -politicos in former BJP minister M.P. Renukacharya who has his audience spellbound more than once. And who can forget Housing Minister M.T.B. Nagaraj's Nagin dance while campaigning for former CM Veerappa Moily during the recent Lok Sabha polls?
