'King' vs 'commoner' contest in Mysore: Acid test for Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

MYSORE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a mammoth election rally in Mysore on Sunday. Flanked by the JDS supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and BJP stalwart BS Yediyurappa, Modi took on the Congress government in Karnataka. Gowda-Modi bonhomie was also quiet visible.

Though the Prime Minister refrained from naming Siddaramaiah in his speech, it is a known fact that the Chief Minister is the "real" candidate in his hometown Mysore.

He sought vote for the Mysore-Kodagu BJP candidate, scion of Mysore royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, who in a surprise development got the ticket after the party denied renomination to two time MP Pratap Simha.

Hoping to ride on the goodwill the benevolent Kings of Mysore still enjoy among the people, BJP has taken a calculated risk ignoring the caste arithmetic of the prestigious constituency.

Before Yaduveer, scion of the royal family the late Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar (SDNR Wadiyar) had represented Mysore four times in the Lok Sabha. Interestingly, he won all four times on the Congress ticket and lost on the BJP ticket in 1991.

The Congress has fielded a "commoner" K Lakshman against the "King". Lakshman, a Vokkaliga, the dominant caste in the constituency, rose to fame by attacking previous MP Pratap Simha on a daily basis. With no money power of his own, he is banking on Siddaramaiah's personal clout, party organisation and his caste sympathy to wrest Mysore from the BJP.

The Congress has fielded a Vokkaliga for the first time since 1977 to cash in on the disenchantment among BJP supporters from the caste.

Siddaramaiah has taken winning Mysore as a personal prestige this time. That is because the Congress lost Mysore under his chief ministership in 2014 and again in 2019, when he was heading the ruling Congress-JDS coalition steering committee. Winning Mysore during his last term as Chief Minister is too important for him and he is leaving no stone unturned. He is repeatedly appealing the voters of his hometown not to let him down again.

In a surprising development, he visited ailing BJP MP and former Union Minister V Srinivasaprasad at his home in Mysore to boost the chances of Congress in both Mysore and neighbouring Chamarajanagara currently held by Prasad. The Dalit stalwart has declared retirement from politics, staying neutral in this election.

Karnataka Congress president and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar has also played a Vokkaliga card appealing to his caste people to vote Lakshman as an adverse result might affect the careers of all Vokkaliga ministers including himself.

The Congress is hoping that a large chunk of Vokkaliga votes will swing in their favour this time. They are also confident of getting the maximum number of minority, Kuruba, SC/ST votes.

Siddaramaiah has already visited Mysore half a dozen times since the declaration of elections and likely to spend 2-3 days more closer to voting day (April 26th). His son and former MLA Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah is camping in Mysore overseeing the campaign.

The Congress is also pinning hopes on Pratap Simha's silence and his unenthusiastic campaign for the "King".

But the BJP is banking on the Modi charisma, Hindutva, Mandir and manifesto of the party. In the Assembly election in May 2023, the BJP was decimated managing to win just One seat here and it is troubling the them the most.

Local election handlers claim that they are depending on the grassroots workers to mobilise the voters and not having MLAs is not a big issue in a general election which is being fought on national issues.

In a "King" versus "Commoner" fight, who does the presiding deity of Mysore Goddess Chamundeshewari give her blessing?

Both the "King" and "Commoner" claim she is on their side.