Karnataka - Bangalore   

A serious contender with people’s support

K.C. Venkatesh

Bangalore: He is the key motivator for the establishment of nearly 300 self-help groups, 15 youth associations, 120 neighbourhood watch committees to prevent domestic violence against women and the Child Rights Action Forum. He has been the convenor of the State Alliance for Education to improve the quality of education for children in government schools and works with the Concerned for Working Children and its Bhima Sangha.

K.C. Venkatesh, the lone candidate of the All-India Forward Bloc in Bangalore, (Rajarajeshwarinagar consti- tuency) has won the Rajyotsava Award. He is the general secretary of the Trade Union Coordination Committee’s Bangalore Urban and Rural district unit. He has covered nearly 40 per cent of the constituency, which has 3.18 lakh voters. A large number of garment workers are said to have assured him of their support.

A major chunk of the volunteers working on his campaign is made up of the nearly 1,500 children whom he helped get admitted in schools. Twelve of the 52 unions he has formed are in Rajarajeshwarinagar. Added to this is the support extended by his wife, K.N. Bhagyalakshmi, who has been a part of his social outreach programme.

Mr. Venkatesh says that his supporters have provided him with six vehicles and sponsored one lakh handbills. “Thanks to the support extended by the people, I am a serious contender.”

Pitted against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s M. Srinivas, a former MP and MLA, Congress candidate P.N. Krishnamurthy and Hanumantharayappa of the Janata Dal (Secular), he says he cannot match them in terms of campaign expenditure. He has borrowed money to provide food to volunteers canvassing for him in the constituency.

With the AIFB being part of the Janapara Rajakeeya Ranga comprising the Communist Party of India, the Republican Party of India and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha, he hopes the alliance will work in his favour.

Asked what prompted him to jump into the fray, knowing the difficulties involved in contesting elections, Mr. Venkatesh said, “I needed help from MLAs and MPs and other politicians for solving problems of working children, dropouts, women in distress and unorganised workers. But I found it difficult to meet them; they were either busy or not interested in meeting me. Some were not ready to meet me as they were arrogant about their wealth and power. This vulgar exhibition of wealth made me contest the election.”

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