Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil to contest 2023 polls from JD(S) bastion Ramanagara

Ramanagara: JD(S) leadership on Saturday named former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s son and party’s youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy as candidate from its bastion of Ramanagara constituency, for the 2023 Assembly polls.

Anitha Kumaraswamy, who is the wife of Kumaraswamy, currently represents Ramanagara segment as MLA.

The announcement makes JD(S) the first political party in the State to formally name a candidate for the polls, which is likely by April-May.

Kumaraswamy, earlier in July, had said Nikhil would not be contesting the Assembly polls, noting that the 32-year-old actor-turned politician, who is the grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, would instead work for the party’s victory in a number of other constituencies.

At the regional party’s ‘Pancha Ratna Yatre’ (Statewide tour) led by Kumaraswamy in Ramanagara, Anitha announced Nikhil as her successor in the constituency, and said she would give up her constituency for Nikhil.

“Nikhil will be contesting from Ramanagara. I trust the people of this constituency that they would extend their love and support to him,” she said.

Requesting voters to support Nikhil the same way they had accepted Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy and herself, Anitha further said, “There were people trying to spread wrong messages. To put an end to all that, I have announced Nikhil’s candidature,” she said.

Kumaraswamy, who represents neighbouring Channapatna segment , speaking on the occasion, said Anitha had not told him about her plan to announce Nikhil’s candidature.

“I’m placing Nikhil in your (voters’) lap. You are like his parents now. It is up to him to gain your confidence as a son. At no cost should you (voters) fall prey to any politics of conspiracy. Empowering him will empower you,” he said.

Deve Gowda had represented Ramanagara Assembly segment in 1994, then Kumaraswamy had won the seat in 2004, 2008, 2013 and 2018.

In the by-election to Ramanagara in November 2018, as it fell vacant after Kumaraswamy gave up the seat preferring Chennapatna, the other seat he had won in the assembly polls that year, Anitha Kumaraswamy had registered victory.

Earlier today, Kumaraswamy had indicated the possibility of Nikhil fighting the election, stating that party workers would decide whether Anitha or Nikhil Kumaraswamy should be the candidate from Ramanagara.

Nikhil had lost the 2019 Lok Sabha election from another party bastion of Mandya to BJP-backed independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh, an actor-turned politician. JD(S) had fought the previous Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the Congress, as both parties then ran a coalition government, with Kumaraswamy as the Chief Minister.

JD(S) often faces criticism for “dynasty politics”, with it even being called a “family party”, as at least eight members from party patriarch Deve Gowda’s immediate family are into politics.

The party aims to independently form a government this time, and has set a target of winning 123 out of a total 224 seats in the upcoming Assembly polls.