JOIN USEXCLUSIVE | Anitha Kumaraswamy has big plans for Ramanagara
Anitha Kumaraswamy is gearing up to become a legislator for the second time. The first time she won an election was in 2008 when he got elected in the Madhugiri bye-election. But she went on to lose in Channapatna in the 2013 Assembly polls and also the Lok Sabha polls in 2008 and 2014.
Anitha, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s wife, has polled 1,20,777 votes and is headed for a clear victory in the Ramanagara assembly constituency bypoll. Deccan Herald's Bharath Joshi caught up with her for a quick chat. Excerpts:
What is your vision for Ramanagara?
Firstly, I want to see to it that the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) gets a campus here. Then, development works such as irrigation projects and creating a twin city comprising Ramanagara and Channapatna.
There are several problems in Ramanagara - drinking water supply, roads and so on.
Ramanagara (district) was formed only in 2008. And Kumaraswamy was chief minister in 2006 and 2007. After that, he was not in power for 12 years. That's why this region seems to be lagging behind a little. But works have been sanctioned already and funds have been earmarked.
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Was your victory dependent on the Congress?
Not at all. We’ve worked together. Also, the JD(S) has a strong base in Ramanagara and the Congress supported me.
You said you were confident of surpassing Kumaraswamy’s tally of 92,000 votes.
The May 2018 election was a different one and I don’t want to discuss that now. But now, Kumaraswamy is the chief minister. People have the confidence that more work can be done if I got elected.
Is the alliance with the Congress an opportunity for the JD(S) to expand its presence beyond the Old Mysuru region?
Hmmm...I can talk about Ramanagara politics. You should ask this to Kumaraswamy.
It looks like stress is getting to Kumaraswamy, given that he often, publicly, talks about how difficult it is for him.
The chief minister’s post, regardless of who's occupying it, is strenuous. And it is manageable. But yes, he's sensitive sometimes. It's just that he wants to do so much and when that expectation isn't met, he's gets stressed.
Will your son Nikhil get into politics?
We haven't discussed this. I don't know what's in store for him. Even Kumaraswamy wasn't interested in politics. He was in the film industry and was only helping my father-in-law (HD Deve Gowda). But then, he entered politics. I don't know how destiny will play out. Even I had no intention of entering politics.
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