The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Ramanagaram throws up third Chief Minister: 1952, 1994, 2006

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 04, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Ramanagaram throws up third Chief Minister: 1952, 1994, 2006

T.S. Ranganna

Kumaraswamy follows Kengal Hanumanthaiya and H.D. Deve Gowda

BEST WISHES: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy being greeted by well-wishers in his chambers after the swearing-in ceremony in Bangalore on Friday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Bangalore: Ramanagaram Assembly constituency in Bangalore Rural district scored a hat trick of sorts when its representative in the Legislative Assembly, H.D. Kumaraswamy, was sworn in as Chief Minister. He is the third Chief Minister from the constituency.

The first was the late Kengal Hanumanthaiya, the second Chief Minister of the erstwhile Mysore State (1952-56) and builder of the Vidhana Soudha. It was Hanumanthaiya who renamed the town, which was for long known as Closepet, as Ramanagaram, after the nearby Ramgiri Hills.

The second Chief Minister from the constituency was H.D. Deve Gowda, father of Mr. Kumaraswamy, who headed the Government from December 1994 to May 1996.

Adopted constituency

However, of the three, both Mr. Deve Gowda and his son adopted Ramanagaram as their constituency. They belong to Holenarsipur in Hassan district.

Even Hanumanthaiya's native village, Kengal, is in the neighbouring Channapatna constituency, also in Bangalore Rural district.

Even Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa is not a native of Shikaripur constituency in Shimoga district, which has elected him to the Assembly for the fifth time. Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa is from Mandya district.

Thousands of supporters of Mr. Kumaraswamy and party workers from Ramanagaram constituency had gathered outside the boundary railings of the Vidhana Soudha shouting slogans such as "Ramanagarada gandige jai" and "Raithara nayaka Kumarannanige jai." Incidentally, all the three Chief Ministers from Ramanagaram have been Vokkaligas.

Mr. Kumaraswamy has set another record, that of being the second member of the same family to become Chief Minister.

Janata Dal (S) workers and supporters from Kanakapura, from where Mr. Kumaraswamy was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996, Ramanagaram, Magadi, Sathanur and Channapatna whistled and raised pro-Kumaraswamy slogans when Chief Secretary B.K. Das announced his name and requested him to take the oath as Chief Minister. But the cheers reached their crescendo when Mr. Das announced the name of Mr. Yediyurappa and requested him to come to the dais to be sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister.

BJP workers, who outnumbered those from the JD(S) near the venue, swamped the roads leading to the Vidhana Soudha with banners, buntings and expensive vinyl boards. At least 100 vehicles carrying supporters of Mr. Yediyurappa came from Shikaripur.

The police, who had allowed traffic to use Dr. Ambedkar Veedhi in front of the Vidhana Soudha, were forced to block it for about 20 minutes when the swearing-in ceremony began. The workers of the two parties hugged each other expressing their jubilation over their leaders assuming office. Some even distributed sweets to passers-by. But the Chief Justice and judges of the Karnataka High Court and even senior officials were conspicuous by their absence at the function.

No entry

Unlike on similar occasions in the past, the supporters of both the parties could not enter the Vidhana Soudha, thanks to the strong grillwork and the massive gates, which have been erected to guard against acts of terrorism. However, hundreds of people rushed from nowhere to the Banquet Hall where Mr. Kumaraswamy and Mr. Yediyurappa hosted tea for Governor T.N. Chaturvedi, who administered the oath of office to them, even before the dignitary left the hall.

They also thronged and surrounded senior leaders of the BJP, such as its national President, Rajnath Singh, M. Venkaiah Naidu and H.N. Ananth Kumar, who were speaking to presspersons.

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