Former Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil to contest election from Ramanagara

The announcement also goes against what Kumaraswamy had said in July — that Nikhil would not contest the Assembly polls and would, instead, work for the party’s victory in a number of other constituencies.

It was at the party’s Pancha Ratna Yatre led by Kumaraswamy in Ramanagara that Anitha announced that the 32-year-old actor-turned politician, who is the grandson of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, would be her successor in the constituency.

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

Seeking support for son

Requesting voters to support Nikhil the same way they did Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy and herself, Anitha 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 the neighbouring Channapatna constituency, 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 her victory.

A family party

Earlier on Saturday, 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 Mandya, another party bastion, to BJP-backed independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh, also 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”, and is often called a “family party”, as at least eight members from party patriarch Deve Gowda’s immediate family are in politics.

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