In the larger Vokkaliga politics narrative, the Old Mysore region has seen political battles, sometimes bitter and violent, with leaders jostling to take the leadership mantle of the community which has a dominant say in a majority of about 60 seats spread across the region.
A slice of the narrative — active in this elections too — comes from Ramanagaram where Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Congress strongman from Kanakapura D.K. Shivakumar and his family, including his brother and MP from Bengaluru Rural D.K. Suresh, are vying for that leadership role over the last three decades.
Adding fizz to contest
Both three-time MLA Mr. Kumaraswamy and six-time MLA Mr. Shivakumar are seeking re-election from Ramanagaram and Kanakapura constituencies respectively, and adding fizz to the Vokkaliga leadership contest is the five-time MLA C.P. Yogeshwar, now seeking re-election from Channapatna on BJP ticket.
“You cannot find a similar jostling between top Vokkaliga leaders anywhere else, be it in Hassan, Tumakuru, Mysuru, Mandya, Chickballapur or Kolar where the community is dominant,” said a senior Congress and Vokkaliga leader from Ramanagaram. “Partly, the reason for such intense fight for domination is the fact that Ramanagaram is closer to the State capital and the power centre. Numerical strength of Vokkaligaa in the district is also another main reason,” he said.
While Hassan politics has seen JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda’s family having a major say in the last two decades, Mandya, the heartland of Vokkaliga politics, though has not witnessed domination by any one family or party, has had its share of clashes of ego with the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna then leading the Congress fight.
Not new to the region
The fight for leadership role has not been new to the region though. Mr. Gowda migrated from Hassan and had been elected to the Assembly from Ramanagaram in the past, and Mr. Kumaraswamy followed suit in 2004. The bitter fight between the two families, which started with the defeat of the then political novice Mr. Shivakumar, who was 23 years old, against the seasoned Mr. Gowda in the erstwhile Sathanur constituency in 1985, later led to the defeat of Mr. Gowda in the 2004 general elections from the erstwhile Kanakapura parliamentary seat by a political greenhorn who was supported by Mr. Shivakumar.
Softening stands
However, the intense fight between the families of Mr. Gowda and Mr. Shivakumar seems to have softened — at least now. This gains significance in a context where Vokkaligas are seen as being alienated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s dispensation.
“We have not compromised politically. For the public consumption, both sides have softened their stands now and no public barbs are hurled at each other,” said a senior leader close to Mr. Shivakumar, and added that it may take at least a decade for the thaw — if it stays — to trickle down to the grassroots where party cadre indulge in sycophancy politics.
On his part, Mr. Yogeshwar, who has changed parties almost every time he has contested, believes that he can find “growth” only in the BJP.
“There is no scope for growth as a Vokkaliga leader from the region are in either the Congress or the JD(S).”
