Nikhil Kumaraswamy, grandson of former prime minister and JD(S) veteran HD Deve Gowda and son of former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, is all set to contest from Ramanagara in the May 10 assembly elections. The Deve Gowda family’s grand plan to launch Nikhil Kumaraswamy into politics failed in 2019 when he was defeated by actress-turned-politician Sumalatha Ambareesh from Mandya by a huge margin of 1.25 lakh votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. His cousin Prajwal Revanna, however, managed to win from the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency in 2019. Now, the powerful political family of Karnataka is carefully planning to re-enter politics for Nikhil from the safest seat.
Ramanagara, which falls under the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency, is currently represented by Nikhil’s mother Anita Kumaraswamy, who won the 2018 bypoll with a huge margin of 1,09,137 votes. The Ramanagaram constituency had fallen vacant after Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who had contested two seats in the May assembly polls, was sworn in as the MLA from Channapatna. The JD(S) has been winning from Ramanagara since 2004, with Kumaraswamy emerging victorious on four occasions – 2004, 2008, 20013, 2018. However, when Nikhil visited the constituency after his candidature was confirmed, he faced the fury of women alleging that there was no development in the area.
The women of Doddabadigere village told Nikhil that they would not vote if development was not ensured, as they complained about the availability of drinking water and improper drainage system. Nikhil listens to their complaints patiently and assures them that he will get the job done. The video of the protection went viral on social media, causing embarrassment to the JD(S) leadership. However, Nikhil’s mature way of handling the situation was appreciated. BJP has given ticket to Gautam Gowda from Ramnagar, while Congress has given ticket to senior leader Iqbal Hussain HA. Some sources claim that Nikhil should win the election comfortably.
There are 2,06,999 voters in this constituency. Hindus constitute 51.04 per cent of the electorate, while Muslims form 47.65 per cent. The Vokkaliga vote bank is dominated by Hindus, which stand firmly with the JD(S). A large section of the Muslim electorate has traditionally supported the Deve Gowda family. However, this time the contest could be tighter as Congress’s prominent Vokkaliga leader DK Shivakumar is being projected as the party’s chief ministerial face. So it will be interesting to see whether JD(S) manages to hold onto the Vokkaliga vote bank in Ramanagara or not. Also, retaining Muslim votes may also prove to be a difficult affair for the JD(S), given the growing polarization on religious lines in Karnataka. So, it certainly isn’t going to be easy for Nikhil in what is considered a ‘safe’ seat of the JD(S).