Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, the candidate of the JD(S)-BJP combine, is no doubt a titan, but his main rival, Congress’s Venkataramane Gowda, aka ‘Star’ Chandru, is no pushover. The richest candidate in the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, Chandru is worth over Rs 620 crore and has been laying the ground for this contest for months.
More importantly, KPCC president and deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar has thrown his weight behind Chandru, in what is seen by many as an election that will decide who among the two — HDK or DKS — will don the mantle of Vokkaliga leader.
This is the second successive time that Mandya is witnessing such a sensational poll battle. In 2019, HDK’s son Nikhil, who was the candidate of then JD(S)-Congress combine, was humbled by actor politician and Independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh. A large section of Congress functionaries covertly supported Sumalatha with the objective of defeating Nikhil, citing the electorate’s perceived discomfort with the dynastic politics of JD(S). This time, too, there are murmurs about HDK snatching the party ticket after promising it to former MP C S Puttaraju.
HDK, though, is unfazed and confident of pulling off a win as he maintains that his decision to contest was based on the collective decision of party workers. There is also speculation that the BJP brass insisted that he contest.
HDK says he is not even spending time electioneering in Mandya and is busy campaigning for NDA candidates in other constituencies such as Tumakuru, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Kolar and Bangalore Rural. “I will win by a huge margin,” he asserts.
The speculation that HDK could be made agriculture minister in the Union Cabinet if NDA returns to office is also helping him consolidate the support of constituents. His camp is trying to play upon Vokkaliga pride by claiming that it would be the second time after HDK’s father and JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda became PM that someone from their community would get an important role at the Centre.
On the other side of the fence, deputy CM D K Shivakumar, too, is playing the Vokkaliga card to the hilt.
Reminding his community that he has ensured as many as eight Vokkaligas have got Congress tickets in the first phase of polls covering 14 Lok Sabha seats, he is appealing to Mandya voters that a victory for Congress in the Vokkaliga heartland, which includes Mandya, Hassan, Bangalore Rural and MysoreKodagu, may propel him to the CM’s post.
“I know you voted for our party in the assembly polls in the hope that I would become something big (chief minister). You ensure our victory in the Lok Sabha polls as well and your wish will come true,” Shivakumar told voters when he launched the party’s campaign in early April.
“The fight in Mandya is actually between Kumaraswamy and Shivakumar to become the unquestionable leader of Vokkaligas, the status that H D Deve Gowda once enjoyed,” said K N Boralingaiah, a Kannada professor and Mandya voter.
With Vokkaligas accounting for about 35% of the 17.8 lakh electorate of Mandya, the support of other communities, including OBCs, mainly Kurubas, Dalits and Muslims, is decisive. Congress has deployed a strong team of poll strategists led by agriculture minister N Cheluvrayaswamy and KPCC working president G C Chandrashekhar.
“Sumalatha’s victory was possible because of the unity in the Congress camp that saw Kurubas vote for her. We are putting up a similar united fight this time as well,” said former KPCC president and CM Siddaramaiah’s confidant B S Shivanna, who has taken up the responsibility of consolidating Kuruba votes.
The JD(S) camp has labelled ‘Star’ Chandru as an outsider as he hails from Gauribidanur in Chikkaballapur district, even though he insists that his roots are in Nagamangala, an assembly segment in Mandya.
“People won’t pay heed to the canards being spread by JD(S). I am confident of winning as we are seeking votes in the name of five guarantees that our govt has successfully implemented, and the leadership of Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar,” said Chandru.
