Yathindra is a constant, quiet, presence around his father, Siddaramaiah, as the Karnataka Chief Minister campaigns in Chamundeshwari. The Congress candidate from neighbouring Varuna quit medical practice two years ago, when his elder brother and Siddaramaiah’s political heir, Rakesh, passed away. He was always the reluctant debutant, staying away from large gatherings and public interactions. In Varuna, where Siddaramaiah is the sitting MLA, Yathindra was bracing for a fierce contest from the BJP’s BY Vijayendra, the son of former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa. Vijayendra has now been denied a ticket, and suddenly Yathindra finds himself with nearly no opposition. In an interview, Yathindra told BusinessLine why he thinks his father has the upper hand in this election, and how neither the BJP nor the JD(S) can trounce the Congress’ in Karnakata.

You seem to have been

air-dropped into Varuna…

To an extent, you are right. I wasn’t even sure if I could win elections on my own. But after my brother’s untimely death, somebody had to take care of my father’s constituency as he was busy running the State. Therefore, I decided to help my father. I began touring the constituency and I gained confidence. I also enjoyed my work here. It gave me a lot of happiness, helping out people. If my brother were alive, he would have surely contested from Varuna. It is not about nepotism, but about being able to serve the people. Also, I may not have been interested in entering politics but I was always interested in political issues.

Why do you think Vijayendra was withdrawn from the race?

I don’t know what happened. He had even rented a residence. I have heard several reasons. There are reports that the RSS did not want a single family to get most of the seats, that the RSS wanted to cut him to size. Perhaps the BJP realised that he may not win, and they didn’t want him to start his political career with a defeat. Therefore, he voluntarily stepped down. It will be much easier for me to win, [and] with a larger majority now. If he had contested, only the margin of victory would have been lesser.

Do you have your own vision for Karnataka?

Most of my political views have been shaped by my father’s political ideology. I have not even met many politicians, even those from the Congress. I am a Left-leaning person. I believe in social justice, I want the poor and the downtrodden to get a better deal. All these should be balanced with economic development.

In Chamundeshwari, where Siddaramaiah is contesting, how much of a factor will caste be?

There are about 50,000 Vokkaliga voters there. Then there are the Lingayats, Muslims, Kurubas, etc. My father has been representing and nurturing the constituency for a long time now. He has a good rapport with the people. He is the go-to man for the voters there. Therefore, there is a good possibility that not all Vokkaligas will vote for the JD(S) candidate there who is from that community. That will play a very decisive role there.

How do you view Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity?

I don’t know how people have got the impression of Modi being a very effective leader. I think he entered the scene at a time when an anti-incumbency was working against the UPA. What I have observed is that all those who support Modi are against reservation and the minorities. The upper castes, naturally, believe that reservation is not good for the people. Modi, and those associated with him, tapped into this emotion and tried to capitalise on this. People also believed his claim about Gujarat being a very progressive State and that it attracted billions of dollars of investment. These issues helped him to come to power.

Do you believe Modi’s rallies towards the end of the campaign could swing the votes in the BJP’s favour?

In Karnataka, the focus is more on caste. Voters tend to vote based on caste but the BJP wants us to believe that they will be taken in by the Hindutva narrative. Unfortunately for them, it will not make much of an impact. If you study the pre-poll survey conducted recently, you will find that the voters want Siddaramaiah as the chief minister. It is because he has done a good job of governing the State. It is but natural that if the voters want Siddaramaiah back, they will have to vote for the Congress.

Do you subscribe to the view that the weaker sections of the society should be given doles like free rice instead of good jobs that will help them to earn their livelihood?

When people lead a hand-to-mouth existence, their immediate needs like food should be met. Whatever they earn, they can use for other requirements. Food, education and health should be provided by the government; or at least, they should be easily accessible to the people. There should be a right balance between social welfare programmes and long-term economic programmes.

There is a view that all the opposition parties are joining hands against Siddaramaiah.

It could actually be true. The BJP and the JD (S) realise that if they can’t win this election, it will take a long time for them to come back to power. For the JD(S), it is a question of survival. It doesn’t really matter to them whether they are supporting a non-secular party or not.

Is Siddaramaiah still considered an outsider in the Congress?

When he joined the party and became the chief minister, there was a bit of a dissidence against him. Even the media used to talk about it. But once the party realised that he has been able to provide a good administration, and is perhaps the only leader who can take on the combined might of Modi and Amit Shah, they, too, have begun supporting him.

There is this perception that Siddaramaiah is arrogant and hence the people are not very happy with him…

I think he is the sort of person who is pretty blunt, and if he cannot do a certain thing, he makes it quite clear instead of making false promises. This could be seen as arrogance, but he is being frank and sincere.

This election is being seen as a kind of precursor to the national elections.

If we win elections, it will be a huge boost to the Congress. What it will also mean is that Amit Shah and Modi can be defeated. That they don’t have some kind of a wand with which they can sweep all elections. What it will also do is that it will put the party [BJP] on the back foot, which is good for us.

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