Karnataka election: Will Anitha Kumaraswamy contest from Ramanagara?

BENGALURU: When JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy took oath as MLA from Channapatna assembly constituency on Saturday, the writing on the wall was clear: he was letting go of Ramanagara, his stronghold. The big question now is, who will be fielded in the Ramanagara bypoll? His wife Anitha Kumaraswamy or son Nikhil Kumar?
Kumaraswamy had contested from Ramanagara and neighbouring Channapatna in the May 12 elections, and won from both.He was the only candidate to have won from two constituencies this time. Former CM Siddaramaiah and BJP leader B Sreeramulu, too, had contested from two seats each, but could win only one of them.
“It was the party’s call that I should contest from both seats. As I cannot retain both, I chose to resign from Ramanagara,” said Kumaraswamy, who has staked claim to form the JD(S)-Congress coalition government.
While Kumaraswamy’s preference to hold on to Channapatna seems to be politically right, it comes as a surprise to JD(S) cadres, given Ramanagara’s track record of having sent at least three chief ministers in the past. Kengal Hanumanthaiah, the second chief minister of Karnataka, was elected twice from Ramanagara.
“Of course, Ramanagara is important for our party, more than the belief that it is a lucky seat. Kumaraswamy’s decision to retain Channapatna is in keeping with the party’s interest in the present scenario,” said Basavaraj Horatti, senior JD(S) leader and MLC.
Sources in the party said Kumaraswamy was in favour of fielding his wife Anitha, who was once defeated by C P Yogeshwar from Channapatna, in Ramanagara. If he had held on to Ramanagara and given up Channapatna, Anitha would have faced tough competition from Yogeshwar, who is now with the BJP.
“By any calculation, winning Ramanagara is relatively easy,” admitted Horatti.