Karnataka: Poll win, Union minister tag for HD Kumaraswamy can revive JD(S) prospects in old Mysuru

The election and swearing in of former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy as MP and Union Minister is expected to give a boost to the JD(S) in the old Mysuru region.

Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) was elected with a huge margin of 2.85 lakh votes in Mandya Lok Sabha segment and is sworn in as Union Steel and Heavy Industries Minister, despite being branded as an outsider by Congress, the main opponent. The recent developments may help to strengthen the party, according to local leaders.

Felicitation

The Mandya district unit of the JD(S) has organised a ‘Nagaraika Sanmana’ (civic reception) for Kumaraswamy at Sir M Visvesvaraya Stadium, on June 16, in Mandya.

Mandya district JD(S) president D Ramesh said, the 2019 LS poll, when Nikhil, son of Kumaraswamy, was JD(S)-Congress coalition candidate, was a disaster. “Even though the JD(S) made a clean sweep in all seven Assembly segments in the 2018 Assembly poll, Nikhil lost to Independent candidate A Sumalatha, due to a discord in the coalition. The present coalition, with the BJP, is more organic, as leaders of both parties have cordial relationship, even though the BJP is not a strong force here,” he said.

Revival

“It can be noted that the JD(S) nominees had won the 2014 (C S Puttaraju) LS poll and 2018 (L R Shivaramegowda) bypoll, from the segment. Earlier, M H Ambareesh had won as Janata Dal candidate in 1998 and N Chaluvaraswamy in 2009. However, the JD(S) lost the segment in the 2013 bypoll, to Ramya of the Congress,” Ramesh recalled.

“In the 2023 Assembly poll, the JD(S) won only in KR Pet (H T Manju), among eight Assembly segments under the Mandya LS constituency. But, Kumaraswamy has got a lead in all eight segments. The people of Mandya LS segment – seven taluks of Mandya district and KR Nagar taluk of Mysuru district – have voted for Kumaraswamy unconditionally,” he said.

Ramesh said, Kumaraswamy’s responsibility as Union minister will help the leaders and workers, to organise the party with renewed energy. His election as MP is also a sign of revival. The JD(S) will strengthen in its bastions like Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Ramanagar, Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Tumakuru district. Besides, even in north Karnataka districts like Vijayapura, the JD(S) has scope for strengthening, he said.

No assurance of house

Since the past couple of decades, not many MPs and even candidates from Mandya were residents of the district. But, they used to assure that they would either rent or build a house in Mandya. Interestingly, neither Kumaraswamy assured that he will have a house in Mandya, nor his supporters demanded that he should have a house in Mandya.

It can be recalled that though Ambaraish, Sumalatha and Ramya had rented houses in Mandya, they hardly resided there.

However, Ramesh said, it does not mean that Kumaraswamy would not have a house in Mandya. It depends on his responsibilities in Delhi. Besides, his farmhouse in Bidadi is not far away from Mandya, he added.