JOIN US‘Bright chance, thanks to Cong-JD(S) alliance’
Senior Congress leader B K Hariprasad is an old-time Bengalurean. The Rajya Sabha member, a Gandhi family confidant, is up against BJP’s greenhorn Tejasvi Surya in Bangalore South.
Hariprasad had unsuccessfully contested this seat in 1999. Time time, he tells DH’s Bharath Joshi why he stands a chance to win. Excerpts:
What are the problems in Bangalore South and what’s your agenda?
Basic infrastructure needs improvement. Taking the city to international standards requires planning for the next 25 years. Due to rapid development, we’ve lost greenery. Since Bommanahalli is a new extension, we should find some place there to create another Lalbagh or Cubbon Park. I’ll also focus on the city’s beautification and lakes.
Announcement of your candidature was delayed, and it came as a surprise. Is lack of time a challenge?
It’s a challenge. In 1999, I had only 14 days. Even this time, I wasn’t in the mood to contest. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name was floated, I got a call from the high command and filed my nomination.
In 1999, you lost by 66,000 votes to Ananth Kumar. What’s your assessment calculation this time?
In the 1998 election, the Congress lost by two lakh votes. I brought the margin down. In 2014, there was an anti-Congress wave. That’s not there now. There’s an undercurrent against Modi because unilateral decisions on demonetisation and GST have affected every individual in society. The BJP can fool people once, not all the time.
Surya says that he’d win solely on Modi’s strength.
BJP is a faceless party. Without Modi, they don’t have a face. Even Modi’s face isn’t accepted all over. He’s popular in the Hindi belt, no doubt, but his presence is negligible in the Northeast and South.
Is your opponent Modi or Surya?
I’m fighting to protect the Constitution and the democratic system.
Has Surya’s candidature made the contest easy for you?
It’s not about easy or tough. The BJP got a young face, but it’s not that they truly respect youth. It’s just an excuse to deny someone a ticket.
Would Tejaswini Ananth Kumar have put up a better fight?
I don’t want to make a comment on that. For a man like Ananth Kumar who sacrificed so much for BJP, someone who could have carried his legacy should’ve been accommodated. This is my personal opinion.
A long-held belief is that Ananth Kumar won consistently thanks to tacit support from local Congress leaders.
I don’t want to comment on that. This time, all our MLAs, our defeated candidates and our councillors are working together.
Ananth Kumar also found support in HD Deve Gowda. Won’t you need his support?
Bengaluru always had a triangular fight. Some Congress votes would go to Gowda. Now that both parties are together, the chances are very bright.
Who will be the next prime minister?
For the Congress, the PM candidate is Rahul Gandhi. But stakeholders of the Mahagathbandhan will choose a person after the results are out.
Why Rahul?
Because he has immense faith in the Constitution and in the democratic set up. Also, he propagates Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology of Sarva Dharma Sambhava.