‘BJP, Congress have aligned together to defeat me in Ramanagara’: Nikhil Kumaraswamy

Q: Ahead of the elections, what are you hearing in Ramanagara?

Nikhil: I am pretty confident (of winning)…the reason is that JD(S) has been in Ramanagara for the last 29 years. In 1994, when Devegowda won by quite a margin, he became the chief minister from here. Since 2004, my father has contested from here and won by a huge margin. In 2006, he became the chief minister from here. Ramanagara is a historical place and we have achieved quite a few developmental works here. There is still a lot of scope for me in the future to work for the people of Ramanagara. As of now, things are looking good.

Q: What is your takeaway from your unsuccessful poll debut in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections?

Nikhil: Technically, I might have lost the Lok Sabha elections but I do not take the defeat as a ‘defeat’. Congress, BJP and others came together because of which I lost the elections. C S Puttaraju, when he became Lok Sabha member, polled around 5,25,000 votes. When I lost, I polled around 5,75,000 votes, an increase of 50,000 votes. There is no takeaway as such, but this time in Ramanagara and Channapatna, the same thing is happening. BJP and Congress have aligned together to defeat me.

Q: What about your poll preparations for Ramanagara?

Nikhil: I am in constant interaction with the people of my constituency. It is not new to me. Beyond politics, the people of Ramanagara see my father as a ‘son of their home’. They also see me in the same way. They have expectations from me as a youngster and about the kind of development and changes I can bring to the constituency. People, especially youngsters, also want to see how I utilise my power as a representative.

Q: What is your vision for Ramanagara?

Nikhil: Education and health are my top priorities for Ramanagara. However, I have different visions for Ramanagara town and the rural areas. In rural areas, it is farmers’ issues and irrigation. When it comes to the town, there are problems related to irrigation. During my father’s period, Rs 480 crore was already allocated to pump water from Shimsha river to support the irrigation needs in town. Eighty per cent of the work is complete. My aim is to provide water for round-the-clock irrigation.

I want to build a stadium and public parks for youngsters interested in sports. Since Ramanagara is also close to Bengaluru, we want to bring the Metro to Ramanagara. The Metro is needed because this has been the ask of the people when I visit them. Many youngsters work in Bengaluru and travel up and down for work. The Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway (toll) is also expensive and commuters travelling to Ramanagara will end up paying Rs 9,000-Rs 10,000 per month. My agenda is also to create as many employment opportunities as possible in Ramanagara so that youngsters do not have to travel to Bengaluru.

Q: Are there differences in JD(S), especially after the Hassan episode when Bhavani Revanna was denied a ticket?

Nikhil: In a democratic setup, politics is a platform to work for the welfare of the people. That is the reason many people want to contest for MLA or MP elections. At the end of the day, the party took a call regarding Hassan. As you can see, the family members of Bhavani Revanna are now supporting H P Swaroop and there are no political differences.

Q: The BJP has proposed to build a Ram Mandir in Ramanagara. Do you think it is playing the Hindu card?

Nikhil: If they wanted to build a Ram Mandir, they should have built it when they were in power. But I do not think the Hindu card will work in Ramanagara. There are various communities here, including Hindus, Muslims and Christians. We are all living like brothers.

Q: While the BJP is trying to make inroads in the Old Mysore region, the JD(S) appears to be losing its grip here, especially after losing the Hassan seat in 2018.

Nikhil: I do not think we are shrinking in the Old Mysore region. On May 13, once the booths are open, you will know where JD(S) stands in the Old Mysore region.

Q: Is the health of star JD(S) campaigners H D Devegowda and H D Kumaraswamy a cause for concern?

Nikhil: Despite being 90 years old, Devegowda is stepping out. I do not know from where God has given him the power. The age factor definitely matters but at this age, if he is still campaigning, it is inspirational for youngsters like us. My father is doing very well but since he is doing the Pancharatna Yatra all by himself for the last five months, he has hardly been sleeping for 3-4 hours a day. One or two days he was unwell, but otherwise, by God’s grace, he is doing good and back in campaign mode.

Q: Where do you see yourself in the JD(S) going ahead?

Nikhil: It all depends on the party workers. I have got the opportunity to build the party. Especially when my father gets the opportunity to become the chief minister of Karnataka, we will implement good education, health, employment, housing and farming programmes in line with the Pancharatna Yatra.

Q: What does the Karnataka election hold in store for the JD(S)?

I don’t go by surveys. I am very practical. Different survey companies claim different numbers. But at the end of the day, I see and believe that people are talking about giving a chance to a regional party. I am confident that JD(S) will come to power this time.

Q: Are you balancing films and politics?

Nikhil: As of now, I don’t want to comment on that.