The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : All the CMs’ sons… and one daughter

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Friday, Apr 25, 2008
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All the CMs’ sons… and one daughter

Bageshree S.

Bangalore: It is going to be the former Chief Minister, the late Ramakrishna Hegde’s daughter versus former Chief Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s son in Ramanagaram constituency.

Whether the new entrant to politics, Mamata Nichani, pitted against former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, will make a dent is a different issue. But with her entry, the total tally of former chief ministers whose children are trying their luck in the coming Assembly elections goes up to six.

In the fray

Leading the pack of sons in the fray are the children of former Prime Minister and Chief Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. While Mr. Kumaraswamy has already been a chief minister, his brother, H.D. Revanna, has held an important portfolio as the Minister for Public Works.

The late Gundu Rao’s son, Dinesh Gundu Rao, is contesting from the Gandhi Nagar constituency as a Congress candidate for the third time in a row. He had worked as a Youth Congress leader as well.

The two sons of S. Bangarappa make for a curious story of brothers pitted against one another, with Kumar Bangarappa fighting on a Congress ticket from Soraba and Madhu Bangarappa likely to fight on his father’s Samajwadi Party ticket from the same constituency.

With talk of a Congress-SP alliance getting nowhere so far, this brother-versus-brother contest seems imminent.

S.R. Bommai’s son, Basavaraj Bommai, who was part of the huge exodus from the Janata Dal (United) to the Bharatiya Janata Party, has been given a ticket to contest from Shiggaon.

Meanwhile, J.H. Patel’s son, Mahima Patel, earlier with the JD(S), has floated his own party, Suvarna Yuga party, and is contesting from Chennagiri.

He has announced that he will go on a month-long fast after filing his nominations on April 28.

Lost chance

On the sidelights of this children’s show are those who were aspiring to be part of it but have been left behind. Kailashnath Patil, son of Veerendra Patil, who was an MLA from Chincholi constituency for one term in 1999, but lost in 2004 to Vaijanath Patil, has not been given a ticket since the constituency is now reserved.

It is interesting that while dynasty rule is the norm, sons far outnumber daughters in taking on the mantle.

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