This story is from September 1, 2020

Pranab Mukherjee’s bond with Karnataka began with Indira Gandhi’s 1978 Chikkamagaluru contest

In 1978, as Indira Gandhi prepared for a pitched battle against Janata Party’s George Fernandes in the Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency, a bespectacled man travelled to the district to support her campaign. He stayed in a small room without any comforts that politicians today prefer. This man was Pranabda, as everyone in Congress called him then and even years later.
Pranab Mukherjee’s bond with Karnataka began with Indira Gandhi’s 1978 Chikkamagaluru contest
Pranab Mukherjee (File photo)
BENGALURU: In 1978, as Indira Gandhi prepared for a pitched battle against Janata Party’s George Fernandes in the Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency, a bespectacled man travelled to the district to support her campaign. He stayed in a small room without any comforts that politicians today prefer. This man was Pranabda, as everyone in Congress called him then and even years later.
Pranabda toured several villages of Chikkamagaluru to drum up support for Indira Gandhi, who finally won that seat.
Though her formal opponent was Janata Party’s Veerendra Patil, most people saw the election as an indirect contest between her and George Fernandes, who was an ardent critic of her and campaigned in the district.
“Those days, there were no luxurious hotels. Pranab Mukherjee stayed with ABA Ghani Khan Choudhary in a small room and visited villages,” said Rajya Sabha member and former Union minister and Mallikarjun Kharge, recounting his warm association with the party colleague and 13th Indian president, who passed away on Monday. “Everyone was assigned areas for campaigning. Every day, he would sit with us for breakfast and share his knowledge of the entire world before setting off on the designated route. He was truly a man for all seasons.” Mukherjee returned to Karnataka several times. He addressed the inaugural session of Suvarana Soudha in Belagavi and participated in the centenary celebrations at the University of Mysore.
Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda paid tributes to Mukherjee, saying he was always a hard-working politician. “I always admired the way he combined his sharp intellect with hard work. May his soul rest in peace,” Gowda said.
Chief minister BS Yediyurappa said the nation had lost a leading light: “He played a crucial role in the development of India and made meaningful contributions to nurturing the country. As a minister for various portfolios, from defence to finance and from external affairs to home ministry, President Mukherjee was one of the most influential leaders of the country. I pray for his soul and to give his family the strength to bear the loss,” he said.
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