With several ruling Congress Ministers in Karnataka having fielded their sons, daughters or relatives in the Lok Sabha election, the pressure is on them to drive the campaign from the front and ensure their victory.
This would mean that these Ministers — Ramalinga Reddy (father of Sowmya Reddy who is contesting in Bengaluru South), Satish Jarkiholi (father of Priyanka Jarkiholi who is contesting in Chikkodi), Laxmi Hebbalkar (mother of Mrinal Ravindra Hebbalkar who is contesting in Belagavi), Shivanand Patil (father of Samyukta Patil who is contesting in Bagalkot), and Eshwar Khandre (father of Sagar Khandre who is contesting in Bidar) — will hit the ground to ensure their victory.
The victory of their children would be crucial for the Ministers to continue in the State government after the general elections. Defeat of these candidates could mean a big setback and pressure would mount on them to give up Cabinet berths, say party sources.
Such Ministers have to not only mobilise funds but also the cadre to ensure the victory of their children. In a move to gain support, some Ministers had introduced their children to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and sought his blessings in the run-up to the campaign, even before the list was officially announced.
While Ms. Reddy, who holds an engineering degree, has experience of the electoral battle, the other four candidates who are the children of Ministers are testing the electoral waters for the first time.
In Davangere constituency, the Congress has fielded Prabha Mallikarjun, daughter-in-law of party veteran and Veerashaiva-Lingayat strongman Shamanur Shivashankarappa. Her husband, S.S. Mallikarjun is the Minister for Mines and Geology. Ms. Mallikarjun is facing incumbent BJP MP G.M. Siddeshwar’s wife, Gayathri Siddeshwar.
In Kalaburagi, AICC president M. Mallikarjun Kharge has handed over his constituency to his son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani. Now, it is the responsibility of Minister Priyank Kharge to step up the campaign to ensure victory of his brother-in-law.
In Bengaluru Central, the Congress has given the ticket to Mansoor Ali Khan, son of the former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson K. Rahman Khan. He will be contesting against P.C. Mohan of the BJP.
Interestingly, there seems to be little dissidence in the Congress. Only some leaders such as Veena Kashappanavar in Bagalkot have been raising voices which are expected to die down during the course of the campaign, sources in the party said.
Dynasts all
It also appears that the continued phenomenon of children of leaders entering politics — cutting across party lines — would render the much-used phrase of ‘dynastic politics’ a not-so-potent weapon for leaders.
With influential political leaders from all parties fielding sons, daughters, or wives in the Lok Sabha poll, political succession plans are being rolled out seamlessly. While the JD(S) has multiple relatives of the party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda in the fray and is traditionally dubbed a “father-son party”, the BJP too is facing rebellion and dissidence because senior leader B.S. Yediyurappa is accused of indulging in “nepotism” to favour his sons. The ruling Congress has fielded children of five Cabinet Ministers. Across parties, securing ticket for sons and daughters ensures that no alternative power centre is created in these “family” constituencies”.
