38% of MLAs in Mysuru region are new faces

From the 29 Assembly constituencies, comprising Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan, and Chamarajanagar districts, there have been 11 first-time MLAs, about 37.9%, although some of them have a political family background and a few others in politics for quite some time.

“New faces do not mean that they are young. But, it is a welcome change. In a democracy, as many people possible should get a chance for participation. Politicians creating records, by winning multiple times is of no use if the people are not benefited. When a politician claims that he or she has won seven or eight times without a break, just ask them if their constituency has achieved cent percent literacy. Ask them if their constituency is hut-free, poverty-free. What is the use, if a person is representing a constituency for decades together, but there are still beggars,” asks P Poornachandra, a school teacher.

Mysuru district tops the list with six new MLAs elected from 11 constituencies. Dr Yathindra of the Congress from Varuna constituency is the son of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He is a medical graduate and has diagnostic laboratories. C Anil Kumar, also a Zilla Panchayat member, of the Congress from H D Kote constituency, is the son of the late MLA Chikkamadu. Chikkamadu, who died a few months ago, represented the same constituency as a JD(S) MLA. As the JD(S) inducted Chikkanna from the BJP, Anil crossed over to the Congress.

B Harshavardhan of the BJP from Nanjangud is the son-in-law of former minister V Srinivas Prasad. An engineer by profession, he is also a grandson of the late minister Basavalingappa. Both Prasad and Basavalingappa were in the Congress. Last year, Prasad crossed over to the BJP, citing ill-treatment by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The others are former MUDA chairman L Nagendra of the BJP from Chamaraja constituency; ZP member M Ashwin Kumar of the JD(S) from T Narsipur constituency; and K Mahadeva of the JD(S) from Periyapatna constituency. All the six new MLAs have a political background. Mahadeva had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly polls twice, earlier.

In Hassan and Chamarajanagar districts, there are two new faces each. Preetham J Gowda of the BJP from Hassan constituency, an engineering graduate, is a businessman. But, he has been in politics for a few years. K S Lingesh of the JD(S) from Belur is an educationist. He too has a political background and had unsuccessfully contested the 2013 polls on a JD(S) ticket.

In Chamarajanagar district, C S Niranjan Kumar of the BJP from Gundlupet constituency has earlier unsuccessfully contested the polls three times. His father C M Shivamallappa too had contested from the same constituency twice, once as a Congress nominee and once as an Independent. Niranjan was a ZP member from the Congress, before joining the BJP in 2008.

N Mahesh of the BSP from Kollegal (SC reserved) constituency is an ex-employee of the state government. He quit his job in 1999 and joined the BSP to become active in politics. He had earlier unsuccessfully contested three Assembly and one Lok Sabha polls.

In Mandya district, Ravindra Sreekantaiah of the JD(S) from Srirangapatna constituency is a third-generation politician. Till a few months ago, his family was in the Congress, since three generations. He had contested the 2013 polls as a Congress-rebel. His grandfather A S Chunchegowda was elected as MLA in 1967. His mother Parvathamma Sreekantaiah was elected MLA in 1999. His father Sreekantaiah also had unsuccessfully contested from the same constituency, a couple of times.