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A political spectacle as grand as the palaces that dominate its skyline is unfolding in Mysuru as the Lok Sabha constituency is all set for a clash between lineage and allegiance on April 26.
In the blue corner stands BJP’s Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the titular scion of the erstwhile Mysore royals, stepping into the electoral ring with the weight of heritage on his shoulders.The political debutant was legally adopted in 2015 by his aunt, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, after her husband and four-time MP Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar passed away in 2013. Challenging him in the red corner is Congress nominee M Lakshmana, a trusted confidant of chief minister Siddaramaiah who represents Varuna assembly segment in Mysuru district.
BJP’s bet on Yaduveer’s lineage may not be without merit in the sandalwood constituency, but history cautions against complacency. Out of the six times that Srikantadatta contested parliamentary elections, he won four times as a Congress candidate and lost twice — once as a BJP candidate and again while with the grand old party. The saffron party may also be leveraging 32-year-old Yaduveer’s youth; akin to its successful strategy in 2014 when it nominated columnist Pratap Simha from the constituency. Simha won the seat again in 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Mysuru on Monday too is expected to bolster support for Yaduveer.
Meanwhile, in Lakshmana’s nomination, Congress is underscoring the party’s strategy of rewarding allegiance over lineage. Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar has been emphasising on Lakshmana’s Vokkaliga identity, given the agrarian community’s significant presence in the constituency.
Yaduveer could also benefit from BJP’s alliance with JD(S), which has a substantial vote-base in the constituency. However, whether this base will switch in favour of the BJP candidate remains to be seen as Congress harps on about its candidate’s Vokkaliga credentials. Meanwhile, JD(S) stalwarts like former CM HD Kumaraswamy and MLA GT Devegowda have thrown their weight behind Yaduveer.
Apart from the dominant Vokkaliga population, Mysuru boasts a diverse electorate — Dalits, Kurubas, Muslims, Lingayats, Kodavas, and other minority groups. The constituency is made up of eight assembly segments — six in Mysuru district and two in Kodagu district. In the 2023 assembly elections, Congress won five assembly segments, JD(S) two and BJP one. Congress aims to replicate its state poll success in the LS seat, with a focus on welfare schemes.
Crucially, the two assembly segments in Kodagu district — Madikeri and Virajpet — that Congress wrested in the 2023 assembly elections could play a key role in shaping the outcome of the LS contest. Some constituencies like Krishnaraja, traditionally a BJP stronghold, are witnessing shifts in allegiance, with several former BJP leaders like HV Rajiv switching sides and bolstering Congress’s prospects.
In 2019 LS elections, BJP had outperformed the Congress-JD(S) alliance candidates in five assembly segments, securing a lead of 52,000 votes in Krishnaraja, 46,000 votes in Chamaraja, 44,000 votes in Madikeri, 42,000 votes in Virajpet and 22,000 votes in Chamundeshwari. Congress-JD(S) candidates had a lead of 42,000 votes in Narasimharaja, 24,000 in Periyapatna and only 4,000 in Hunsur.
This time, Congress has pulled all stops in the constituency with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar joining forces, and first-time Congress MLAs AS Ponnanna, Mantar Gowda, and Harish Gowda and seasoned politicians like K Venkatesh, a minister, actively campaigning. But as the campaign unfolds, it remains to be seen if Congress’s efforts can bring it votes in this royal battle that transcends individual candidates.
In the blue corner stands BJP’s Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the titular scion of the erstwhile Mysore royals, stepping into the electoral ring with the weight of heritage on his shoulders.The political debutant was legally adopted in 2015 by his aunt, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, after her husband and four-time MP Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar passed away in 2013. Challenging him in the red corner is Congress nominee M Lakshmana, a trusted confidant of chief minister Siddaramaiah who represents Varuna assembly segment in Mysuru district.
BJP’s bet on Yaduveer’s lineage may not be without merit in the sandalwood constituency, but history cautions against complacency. Out of the six times that Srikantadatta contested parliamentary elections, he won four times as a Congress candidate and lost twice — once as a BJP candidate and again while with the grand old party. The saffron party may also be leveraging 32-year-old Yaduveer’s youth; akin to its successful strategy in 2014 when it nominated columnist Pratap Simha from the constituency. Simha won the seat again in 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Mysuru on Monday too is expected to bolster support for Yaduveer.
Meanwhile, in Lakshmana’s nomination, Congress is underscoring the party’s strategy of rewarding allegiance over lineage. Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar has been emphasising on Lakshmana’s Vokkaliga identity, given the agrarian community’s significant presence in the constituency.
Yaduveer could also benefit from BJP’s alliance with JD(S), which has a substantial vote-base in the constituency. However, whether this base will switch in favour of the BJP candidate remains to be seen as Congress harps on about its candidate’s Vokkaliga credentials. Meanwhile, JD(S) stalwarts like former CM HD Kumaraswamy and MLA GT Devegowda have thrown their weight behind Yaduveer.
Apart from the dominant Vokkaliga population, Mysuru boasts a diverse electorate — Dalits, Kurubas, Muslims, Lingayats, Kodavas, and other minority groups. The constituency is made up of eight assembly segments — six in Mysuru district and two in Kodagu district. In the 2023 assembly elections, Congress won five assembly segments, JD(S) two and BJP one. Congress aims to replicate its state poll success in the LS seat, with a focus on welfare schemes.
Crucially, the two assembly segments in Kodagu district — Madikeri and Virajpet — that Congress wrested in the 2023 assembly elections could play a key role in shaping the outcome of the LS contest. Some constituencies like Krishnaraja, traditionally a BJP stronghold, are witnessing shifts in allegiance, with several former BJP leaders like HV Rajiv switching sides and bolstering Congress’s prospects.
In 2019 LS elections, BJP had outperformed the Congress-JD(S) alliance candidates in five assembly segments, securing a lead of 52,000 votes in Krishnaraja, 46,000 votes in Chamaraja, 44,000 votes in Madikeri, 42,000 votes in Virajpet and 22,000 votes in Chamundeshwari. Congress-JD(S) candidates had a lead of 42,000 votes in Narasimharaja, 24,000 in Periyapatna and only 4,000 in Hunsur.
This time, Congress has pulled all stops in the constituency with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar joining forces, and first-time Congress MLAs AS Ponnanna, Mantar Gowda, and Harish Gowda and seasoned politicians like K Venkatesh, a minister, actively campaigning. But as the campaign unfolds, it remains to be seen if Congress’s efforts can bring it votes in this royal battle that transcends individual candidates.
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