Three-time MLA little known entity in Bangalore (S)

As the state Youth Congress chief,he has been seen around with Rahul Gandhi,and had even driven him around in an SUV during a visit of rural Karnataka in March 2008.

He is recognised as a three-time MLA from another part of the state,and is known as the son of a former minister,yet Krishna Byre Gowda is a relatively unknown entity in Bangalore South.

Having entered politics in 2003,after he returned from the United States following the death of his father,C Byre Gowda — a minister in the Janata Dal government of 1994-99 — the young Byre Gowda has emerged as a key young politician on the Congress firmament and someone to be watched.

Having cut his political teeth in Vemgal constituency in Kolar district,which had faithfully elected his father to the state legislature several times,Byre Gowda has gradually learnt to straddle the diverse demands of politics. He strategises carefully about where to use gimmicks and where to appeal to voters. “There is no need for gimmicks in HSR Layout (part of the Bangalore South constituency),it’s mostly educated voters,” he is overheard telling a party worker at a campaign stop.

Pushed out of the safe zone of his home constituency in Vemgal following delimitation in 2008,Byre Gowda,who has a postgraduation degree in international affairs from the American University in Washington DC,showed he could swim in new waters when he successfully fought the Assembly polls from the outskirts of Bangalore.

However,when it came to the run up to the parliamentary elections,Byre Gowda’s name did not come up frequently,despite his known proximity to Rahul Gandhi and the Congress’s attempts to field strong,young candidates wherever possible.

Instead,speculation around the Congress candidate for Bangalore South constituency had revolved around former chief minister and former Maharashtra governor S M Krishna,especially in view of the fact that the BJP candidate was formidable four-time MP H N Ananth Kumar.

Therefore,it came as a surprise to many when Byre Gowda’s candidature was announced after S M Krishna expressed his reluctance to contest the seat.

Despite a late start compared to his rivals — including Independent candidate Captain Gopinath of the low-cost aviation fame and a college professor K E Radhakrishna from the Janata Dal(Secular) — Byre Gowda has managed to bring his campaign up to speed.

In a constituency that in many ways captures the essence of Bangalore — high-tech and low-tech,plush homes and tiny flats,intellectuals and labourers,broad tree-lined avenues and crowded alleyways — the campaigns of all the candidates have involved a mix of new media like the Internet along with traditional road shows and door-to-door visits. All the candidates also participated in a debate organised for over 20,000 IT professionals at the Infosys campus on April 16.

But it is Byre Gowda who has probably used the power of the Internet the most to connect to the large number of IT professionals in the constituency in a campaign labelled ‘Clean,Committed,Progressive’. The Youth Congress chief has a website,he has uploaded campaign videos on YouTube; he has Orkut and Linkedin profiles,he is on Facebook and Twitter.

“More than 70 per cent of India is under the age of 40,and wants a fresh perspective and new solutions to age-old issues. This is what I bring to the table. When you vote for me,you will be bringing the voice of the youth into government,” he tells voters.

“I consider myself a progressive candidate who wants to provide leadership on the dominant concerns facing this constituency. I stand for promoting the economy,supporting freedom of expression,and creating the right infrastructure for living and working,” he says. “Big promises are not my style,considered and committed action is.”

Yet,despite the seeming modernity of the campaign,the outcome of the polls still hinges on caste equations in the constituency. Byre Gowda is banking on the large Vokkaliga vote-base in the constituency to back him strongly,given the fact that the three other main contestants are Brahmins. However,with all eight Assembly constituencies in the sector having MLAs owing allegiance to the BJP and Ananth Kumar,the young Congress leader admits he has a tough battle ahead of him. But he remains optimistic.

“We started the campaign a little late but party workers have rallied very well. Senior leaders like S M Krishna have also campaigned and things are looking up,” Byre Gowda said.