Melukote electorate thinks of Darshan Puttannaiah as a chip off the old block

Mudguru, a remote village in Melukote segment, was abuzz with activities on Tuesday morning as people, most of them youth, were busy making preparations to welcome their young leader.

‘Puttannaiahange jai’ slogans rent the air as 41-year-old Darshan Puttannaiah, Swaraj India party’s candidate for Melukote, arrived in the village. After greeting his supporters, he hopped on a bullock cart to hold a roadshow. Darshan, who was successfully running a firm in the US till recently, toured the village draped in a green shawl with folded hands with his party workers.

Darshan, son of veteran farmer leader and Melukote MLA
K S Puttannaiah, who passed away recently, is a software engineer by profession. He had been living in the US for more than 15 years. He took a plunge into politics after his father’s death.

He faces a tough fight against C S Puttaraju, sitting JD(S) MP from Mandya. The Congress has not fielded any candidate from Melukote and has extended support to Darshan.

He wants to be the ‘voice of farmers in Vidhana Soudha’ and promises to ensure basic amenities in villages. This has made him a big hit among youth and women. “We have high hopes on him. He is capable of bringing in change in politics,” Chikkahonne Gowda,
a Mudguru resident said.

To Puttamma, another resident, Darshan appears to be just like his father. “We hope he will continue with the good works done by his father. It’s very unfortunate that this boy lost his father,” she said with teary eyes.

Darshan has been campaigning tirelessly for the past one month. He has made it a point to visit every house in the constituency since he needs to get people to recognise him. He told DH that development was his only motto. “I want to fulfill dreams of my father by serving farmers.”