CHANNAPATNA, 9 NOV

It’s a battle royale being fought in the toy town of Channapatna between the ruling Congress party’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda’s family. However, the electoral battle does not seem to be confined to just the two families– the Gowdas and the DK brothers (Shivakumar and former MP DK Suresh). Congress candidate CP Yogeeshwara, who won from Channapatna five times and lost twice also has an axe to grind with the Gowda family as his electoral defeats have been restricted to the times when he contested against Deve Gowda’s son and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy from the constituency, except on one occasion when he defeated the latter’s wife Anitha Kumaraswamy in 2013.

Propped up as a Congress candidate after he resigned from the membership of the Legislative Council membership and quit BJP, Yogeeshwara’s “ghar wapsi” to the Congress, his first political party, voters of Channapatna are being treated to a slanging match between Kumaraswamy vs Shivakumar and Yogeeshwara. The NDA (JD(S) and BJP combine) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy is facing the bypoll with the baggage of two electoral defeats in the Mandya Lok Sabha Constituency in 2019 and Ramanagaram Assembly Seat in 2023, fighting to rid himself of the tag of a ‘doomed politician’.

A veteran of nine electoral battles, Yogeeshwara is banking on the developmental works he had taken up in the constituency as an MLA and dives straight into his campaign by attacking the Gowda family. “I have indeed changed parties, but in the last six and half years, Kumaraswamy has not contributed to the constituency.”

Also Read | I am fighting against the Gowda dynasty: Yogeeshwara 

Admitting that this bypoll is not a cakewalk for him Yogeeshwara, addressing a meeting in Honnanayakanahalli and Makkali, he has become wary of elections. “We are like the proverbial Tenali Rama cat, which would not touch milk after being burned by hot milk.”

The way this constituency has been ruined by Kumaraswamy when he was the MLA, makes me wonder what will happen if his son gets elected?, he asks.

Ridiculing Kumaraswamy for resigning from the Channapatna Assembly seat after winning the 2023 polls and opting for a role at the Centre, Yogeeshwara accuses Kumaraswamy of wanting to bequeath the constituency to his son like an heirloom. “Kumaraswamy is like the crane, which keeps changing lakes in search of new fish,” he maintains.

Joining Yogeeshwara on the dais after earlier meetings in the constituency, KPCC President and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar is rather blunt in seeking votes for Congress. “Why would Nikhil lose the Mandya Lok Sabha seat, when his father was the chief minister and mother was MLA from adjoining Ramanagara constituency unless the people recognised his incompetence’’ he asks.

Also Read | I'm taking moral responsibility for Yogeeshwara's prospects in Channapatna: Shivakumar 

Dismissing the Gowda family’s claim that they belong to the constituency, Shivakumar tells the people, “Yogeeshwara was born here and will be here for all times to come. Take money from other parties, but vote for the Congress. Yogeeshwara will always be there to carry you in a palanquin and also be your pall-bearer,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Devara-hipparagi (Vijayapura) JD(S) MLA Bhimanagouda Patil, who has been campaigning for Nikhil says his party’s alliance with BJP will not impact the minority votes in the constituency, which is the deciding factor for the candidate’s victory. Apart from the alliance partners campaigning and setting up election offices independently for Nikhil, in some places, they have also opened offices in the name of NDA.

Addressing meetings in Singarajipura, Boohalli and Channapatna, Deve Gowda, who is actively campaigning for his grandson, chided the Congress leaders for making light of his son and grandson becoming emotional during their speeches. “Congress would do well to remember that tears are an inheritance in our family. Have you ever seen Shivakumar shed a tear for the people? He (Shivakumar) started with just Rs 100 as an understudy with underworld don Kotwal Ramachandra. When a farmer who feeds the nation is in pain, a compassionate heart is moved,” Gowda states.

It may be recalled that Kumaraswamy in a speech in Samandipur village became emotional saying this village is the ancestral home of his daughter-in-law Revathi’s grandmother, and since his son Nikhil’s wedding had taken place during the pandemic he had not been able to invite the people of this village to the wedding fest. This had invited ridicule from Congress leaders.             —Salar News