Sowmya Reddy, alongside her father Ramalinga Reddy, forges her own path in politics by championing women's empowerment.
Credit: DH Photo/Pushkar V
Congress’ Bengaluru South candidate — waved to her supporters, most of whom were women. She wore a compassionate smile, perhaps stemming from the protective influence and strength of her father, senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy.
Despite her defeat in the 2023 Assembly elections, a deep faith in her supporters and inherent optimism seemed to characterise Sowmya's demeanor.
Despite her father's extensive experience in politics, Sowmya is carving out her own niche. She appeals to women voters by promoting the Congress government's Gruhalakshmi and Shakti schemes and by presenting herself as a peer among the women of Bengaluru South.
'Women are the backbone and shakti (strength) of this country,' she stated in her campaign speech, highlighting the Congress manifesto’s promise to provide Rs1 lakh a year to every woman in poor households across the country.
Many women, particularly from working-class backgrounds, nodded in awe and appreciation at these remarks. A majority of them, as DH discovered, expressed their support for the Congress.
Sowmya’s recent campaign trail started at the Srinagar bus stop and wove through Narihalla, Girinagar Circle, Ashok Nagar, Vidyapeetha, Hanumantha Nagar, and parts of Katriguppe.
The crowd's chants ranged from 'Bolo Bharat Mata Ki Jai' to 'Bolo Congress Paksh Ki Jai,' interspersed with 'Jai Shri Ram'—a chant uncommon for the party. In response, Sowmya clarified, 'We are not "them." We do not misuse the name of Lord Ram for politics because we are the true believers of Lord Ram."
Taking a dig at her BJP opponent, Tejaswi Surya, Sowmya asked, 'Has he ever visited your homes to see how you are doing? Has he given Kannadigas a voice in Parliament?' She then questioned, 'What has he given to Bengaluru city at all?'
Discussing the Centre's lack of sufficient support for the infrastructure development of Bengaluru and Karnataka, despite them being top taxpayers, Sowmya emphasised, "The Congress will forever remain a people’s party, not one that heeds the interests of just a handful of people."