Apart from fierce battle for supremacy in the May 5 Assembly polls, Karnataka is also witnessing family politics keeping their dynasty intact. It is interesting that three of family members of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda are contesting from his party JD(S). Apart from one man army and JD(S)’s star campaigner HD Kumaraswamy, who is contesting from Ramanagara, his wife Anita Kumaraswamy is contesting from neighbouring constituency Chennapatna. Gowda’s another son HD Revanna is contesting from his traditional constituency Holenarasipura in Hassan.
Kumaraswamy told The Pioneer that all the family members, including his father, were doing social service and people love them for their service. He did not find it family politics but family in social service.
The list of dynasty politics does not stop here. The Congress has given seats to kith and kin of influential congressmen who talk about simplicity. Ignoring AK Anthony committee report recommending to the Congress national leadership that kin of party leaders should not be considered for party tickets, some influential leaders in the Congress succeeded in getting tickets for the Assembly polls.
After much negotiation, Union labour Minister M Mallikarjun Kharge got a ticket for his son, Priyank from Chittapur, while his friend, former Chief Minister N Dharm Singh got his son, Ajay to contest from Jewargi.
Former Union Railway Minister CK Jaffer Sharief not only managed to get ticket for his son-in-law Sayyed Yasin for Raichur City but also for his grandson Rahman Sharief from Hebbal in Bangalore.
Another Congress leader M Krishnappa who is popularly known as ‘layout,’ is contesting from Vijayanagar segment in Bangalore, and his son, Priya Krishna, one of the richest candidates in the polls, is seeking re-election from the neighbouring Govindarajanagar.
The other father-son pair, Shamanur Shivashankarappa and SS Mallikarjun, who are contesting from Davanagere North and South respectively, got their tickets at the last minute. Basavaraj Koujalgi, a brother of Congress MlC Mahantesh Koujalgi, is contesting from Bailhongal in Belgaum district.
Mining barons and cousins from Bellary Santosh and Anil lad are contesting from Kalghatgi and Bellary respectively from Congress tickets.
The Ruling BJP is no exception to this trend. Sitting BJP MlA from Rajarajeshwari Nagara M Srinivas has got ticket for his brother M Krishnappa to contest from Bangalore South.
Deputy Chief Minister R Ashok, contesting from Padmanabhanagar, has managed to get a ticket for his relative, A Ravi from Byatarayanapura.
Three members of a family, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Balachandra Jarkoholi and Satish Jarkiholi, one of the most powerful families of Belgaum district, are contesting from Gokak, Arabhavi and Yamakanamaradi Assembly constituencies respectively, from different parties.
In Soraba in Shimoga district, sons of former Chief Minister late S Bangarappa - Madhu (JDS) and Kumar (Congress), who are bitter political rivals, are crossing sword again. Former Chief Minister late Veerendra Patil’s son, Kailash Patil, is contesting from Gulbarga South.
In Sagara, Congress candidate Kagodu Thimmappa is pitted against his close relative Beluru Gopalakrishna, who recently crossed over to the JDS from BJP. The Congress has given “B form” to BK Shivaram, a former police official and brother of senior party leader B K Hariprasad, to contest from Malleshwaram here.
In KGF segment in Kolar district, the BJP has fielded Y Ramakka, mother of the party’s tainted MlA there, Y Sampangi, after suggesting him to recommend his candidate while denying him ticket. Similarly, in Hebbal segment of the city, the BJP denied ticket to tainted MlA Katta Subramanya Naidu but accommodated his associate Jagadish Kumar.