BJP accuses Kumaraswamy of using official position to promote family

Bengaluru: The state BJP unit on Monday accused Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy of using his official position to cater to the needs of his “family business”, amid his moves to induct his son into politics. 

The BJP’s criticism against the chief minister comes at a time when Kumaraswamy is making all efforts to ensure his actor son Nikhil Kumaraswamy’s victory from the party stronghold of Mandya Lok Sabha constituency. 

The JD(S) had recently indicated that Nikhil would be the party candidate from Mandya. “CM @hd_kumaraswamy in last 8 months. 1st 2 Months – How to form govt, 3rd & 4th Month – How to help wife win elections, 5th & 6th Month – How to promote Son’s movie, 7th & 8th Month – How to ensure Son win Mandya seat in MP election. CM seat is catering the needs of family business (sic),” the Karnataka BJP said in a tweet. 

Kumaraswamy’s wife Anitha is an MLA from Ramanagara, the seat vacated by her husband as he chose Channapattana out of the two seats he had contested and won in the May, 2018 state Assembly polls. Nikhil is likely to be pitted against Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of late actor-turned-politician Ambareesh, in Mandya.

Sumalatha has made it clear that she would contest the polls from Mandya, which was earlier represented by Ambareesh, in spite of the Congress stating that the seat would go to its coalition partner, the Janata Dal (Secular). It is still not clear whether she will be contesting the polls independently or will take the support of the BJP as the saffron party too is looking to increase its prospects in the Vokkaliga bastion, where it is a weak player. 

With Sumalatha seen as a strong contender, banking on her late husband’s popularity in the region, it is a prestige battle for Kumaraswamy and the JD(S) to retain the seat as the district is dominated by the party that has all the seven Assembly constituencies under its kitty. 

The JD(S) and the Deve Gowda family have also come under criticism in the social media for their plans to field Nikhil from Mandya and another grandson, Prajwal Revanna, from Hassan. Prajwal is the son of Kumaraswamy’s elder brother and PWD Minister H D Revanna. A social media campaign titled “Go back Nikhil” was also launched in Mandya a couple of days ago to oppose the “dynasty politics” of the Deve Gowda family.