In Vokkaliga bastion, H D Kumaraswamy looks to regain ground lost to Congress

JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy is making efforts to win back the Vokkaliga community as he fights the odds to wrest the Mandya Lok Sabha segment.

Of the eight Assembly seats that come under the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency, the JD(S) holds only one as the regional party ceded space to the D K Shivakumar-led Congress. 

According to JD(S) leaders, Kumaraswamy must take into confidence local Vokkaliga leaders, even those who are politically neutral. This is needed as the Congress, too, has fielded a Vokkaliga in Venkataramane Gowda (Star Chandru). 

“Though there are no reasons for Mandya people to reject Kumaraswamy, the support of the major Vokkaliga community matters. The Congress candidate, also a Vokkaliga, has been campaigning in the constituency for the past several months. He is known to people as he has carried out civil works as part of his business,” a senior JD(S) leader explained. 

This is the reason why Kumaraswany recently visited the Adichunchanagiri Mutt, an influential Vokkaliga institution. It is believed that the Adichunchanagiri Mutt plays a major role in influencing the Vokkaliga community in this region.

Last year, in the Assembly polls, the Congress did well in the Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysuru belt.

This included Mandya, which was traditionally a JD(S) stronghold. The Vokkaliga votes are believed to have consolidated for the sake of helping D K Shivakumar’s chief ministerial prospects. 

In the Assembly polls, JD(S) trailed Congress by over one lakh votes across all eight segments that come under the Mandya Lok Sabha seat. In Mandya and Nagamangala Assembly seats, the JD(S) lost by 2,019 and 4,414 votes, respectively. Kumaraswamy is optimistic about bridging this gap. 

Kumaraswamy may also use the Cauvery issue, which strikes a sentimental chord in Mandya, to woo voters. “During our survey, we understood that people of Mandya were upset with Congress over the way it handled the Cauvery issue. Kumaraswamy will make sure that he will be with the people of Mandya and stand for Cauvery, if he is elected,” another JD(S) leader who is a former MLA from Mandya said. 

Kumaraswamy could even mention his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy’s 2019 defeat to create some sympathy. It was Nikhil’s maiden electoral outing.

In 2019, Independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh got 7.03 lakh votes against Nikhil who polled 5.77 lakh votes. “Then, Sumalatha was supported by BJP. This time, even BJP votes will come to Kumaraswamy as he’s the NDA candidate,” the former MLA said.