Union Minister Ananth Kumar had his initiation into politics in Hubballi where he spent his childhood and had his education.
Born to H. Narayana Shastry, a railway employee, and Girija Shastry (who later became Deputy Mayor of Hubballi–Dharwad), he grew up with the children of railway employees at MTS Colony, off Karwar Road here. He had his primary education at Basel Mission School and then at Lamington School, and did pre-university course at P.C. Jabin College.
He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1973 and took part in the Jayaprakash Narayan movement in 1974. During the Emergency, he was jailed from December 8, 1975 to January 14, 1976.
After he was released from the prison, he continued his education and got a law degree from Sakri Law College. Mr. Ananth Kumar served as full-time worker (Poornavadhi Karyakarta) of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad for five years before being appointed as its national secretary. His oratory skills and leadership qualities took him to the BJP in 1987. He rose through the ranks and became BJP’s Karnataka State unit president and national general secretary before becoming a Union Minister.
Idgah movement
Mr. Ananth Kumar’s stint as full-time worker of the ABVP and his subsequent shift to the BJP took him away from Hubballi, but the Idgah movement brought him back to the city in the 1990s, recalled local BJP workers who were associated with him.
MP for Dharwad Pralhad Joshi, who grew up with Mr. Ananth Kumar, said Hubballi always had a special place in latter’s heart and he was committed to seeing changes in the city.
An emotional Mr. Joshi said, “In the recent years, Mr. Ananth Kumar had a role in most of the development initiatives in Hubballi–Dharwad. He would look forward to his visits to Hubballi and would meet old acquaintances and senior workers here”.
