In Karnataka, the political constituencies are treated as fiefdoms by politicians, who anoint their wives, sons, daughters or grandchildren as successors when forced to vacate a seat owing to political compulsions.
The tendency of politicians to treat their constituencies as their personal assets certainly raises questions over internal democracy within the parties and blatant display of nepotism, while making a mockery of democracy. Such anointments are being done without a wider consultation within the party, thereby rankling the party leadership and the partyworkers alike. But, some leaders are unwilling to practise restraint.
The latest addition to the list of such unilateral decisions is Ramanagara MLA Anitha Kumaraswamy (wife of former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy) announcing her decision to vacate her seat for her actor son Nikhil Kumaraswamy (32) in the 2023 Assembly polls.
"In 2023, my son Nikhil Kumaraswamy will be the candidate (from Ramanagara) and I am confident that you will accept him like you have accepted me," said Anitha Kumaraswamy during the Pancharatna Yatre of the Janata Dal Secular held in Ramanagara.
Interestingly, Kumaraswamy, who was leading the Yatre, claimed that his wife had announced Nikhil's candidature spontaneously, and he sought the support of the people to help his son emerge as a good leader.
"Anitha Kumaraswamy announcing Nikhil's candidature has come as a surprise to me. I urge the people of Ramanagara not to fall prey to political conspiracies and support my son like you have supported me in the last 20 years. Nikhil has a huge responsibility of winning the hearts of people with his hardwork and commitment," said Kumaraswamy, perhaps hinting at his son's defeat in the Mandya Lok Sabha polls in 2019.
Interestingly, Anitha (63) had won the Ramanagara seat in the 2018 bypolls necessitated by Kumaraswamy giving up the seat to retain Channapatna (the second seat) in the 2018 Assembly elections.
Anitha, an engineering graduate and a media entrepreneur, entered electoral politics by winning the Madhugiri seat (Tumkur) in the 2008 Assembly bypolls. She has lost two elections - Channapatna Assembly segment in May 2013, and Bangalore Rural parliament seat against Congress candidate D.K. Suresh in the 2013 bypoll.
On the other hand, Nikhil, a bachelor of business administration degree, made his Sandalwood debut as a hero in "Jaguar", a multi-lingual film penned by Rajamouli's father Vijayendra Prasad in 2016 and has played the lead role in Seetharama Kalyana and Kurukshetra (2019) and Rider (2021).
A political greenhorn, Nikhil made his debut in electoral politics from Mandya in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, where he was defeated by actor-turned politician Sumalatha Ambareesh, who won as an independent with a huge margin of 1,25,876 votes.
Interestingly, Nikhil's defeat did not go well with his father Kumaraswamy who was the then sitting chief minister. However, the party insiders hinted at the resentment among the JDS cadres and leaders over the Devegowda family "promoting" its family members.
In the same elections, Nikhil's cousin and Prajwal Revanna (son of PWD minister H.D Revanna) registered a thumping victory in Hassan, the seat previously held by his grandfather and former Prime Minister Devegowda, who contested from Tumkur. Ironically, the JDS patriarch suffered a shocking defeat in Tumkur.
While JDS, a regional party, has often been ridiculed as a "family-centric" party, the national parties too have had instances of the father vacating the seat for his son.
In July, BJP veteran and former chief minister of Karnataka B.S. Yediyurappa surprised his partymen when he announced his plan to retire from electoral politics while suggesting that his younger son B.Y Vijayendra would be contesting from Shikaripura in Shimoga, the seat held by the veteran leader for eight times since 1983.
"I have decided not to contest in the 2023 Assembly polls from Shikaripura and my son Vijayendra will be contesting from the seat. It is true that there is pressure to field Vijayendra from the Mysuru region. But he will be contesting from Shikaripura. I urge the people of Shikaripura to ensure his victory with a huge margin," Yediyurappa had said.
In the Congress party, former chief minister Siddaramaiah, who is busy hunting for a "safe" seat in the 2023 assembly polls, is mulling over contesting from Varuna constituency in Mysuru, currently held by his son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah.
Incidentally, Siddaramaiah, who has represented Varuna twice, vacated the seat for his son in 2018, while choosing to contest from neighbouring Chamundeshwari constituency and Badami (Bagalkot). As the sitting chief minister Siddaramaiah contested from two seats but suffered a humiliating defeat against JD(S) candidate G.T. Deve Gowda in Chamundeshwari. He managed to win the Badami seat by a thin margin of 1,696 votes against BJP's B. Sriramulu.
Recently, Yathindra had asserted that his father had a chance to become the CM once again, and he wanted him to contest from Varuna, a safe seat. "There is a chance for him (Siddaramaiah) to become the CM. Whenever he has contested from Varuna in the past, he has got power. So, we want him to contest from Varuna," Yathindra said.
