Vishwanath's career comes a full circle with BJP entry

Ex-MLA A H Vishwanath, who joined the BJP, has come a full circle in politics — from Congress, JD(S) and the BJP. With this, his political journey has covered all three major political parties of the State.

Vishwanath played a long innings of 45 years in Congress, from the early 1970s till 2017. However, in two years and four months, since he joined the JD(S) on July 4, 2017, till November 14, 2019, when he joined the BJP, it has been a roller-coster of politics for a veteran like him.

Since his resignation as Hunsur MLA of JD(S) on July 6, 2019, Vishwanath is in the news for various reasons, mainly for his verbal war with MLA Sa Ra Mahesh of the JD(S) from KR Nagar, the Assembly constituency bordering Hunsur.

Vishwanath, a prominent Kuruba leader, was initially identified by then chief minister D Devaraja Urs. He was elected as KR Nagar MLA for the first time in 1978. Among nine Assembly polls that he contested, he won four. He won in 1978, 1989, and 1999 from KR Nagar constituency, while he lost in 1983, 1985, 1994, 2004, and 2008. Later, he shifted to Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha constituency, which he won in 2009 and lost in 2014. In 2018, he won from Hunsur.

Vishwanath became Minister for Kannada and Culture in 1989 and served as Education Minister since 1999. He was a vehement critic of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and his sons H D Revanna and H D Kumaraswamy, till he was in Congress. He started criticising Siddaramaiah, ever since he decided to quit the Congress. He left the Congress, citing disrespect by Siddaramaiah. Sa Ra Mahesh, who had defeated Vishwanath in 2008 and 2013, engineered his entry into the JD(S).

His elevation in JD(S) was rapid. He joined the party on July 4, 2017, and was elected as MLA in May 2018. He became JD(S) state president on August 5, 2018, and resigned on June 4, 2019. Finally, he resigned as JD(S) MLA on July 6, 2019. Now, he is the BJP candidate from Hunsur seat.