BENGALURU: Actor-turned politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy’s third consecutive defeat has not only dented his political career but also compelled his father, Union minister HD Kumaraswamy, to reassess the trajectory of JD(S).
Political observers attribute his loss in the Channapatna bypoll to strategic missteps by Kumaraswamy rather than Nikhil’s campaign efforts.
“From aligning with BJP to sidelining five-time MLA CP Yogeeshwara within NDA, and fielding Nikhil without ade quate preparations, JD(S) faltered at multiple levels,” an analyst said.
Contesting against Yogeeshwara, Nikhil managed to win a significant chunk of Vokkaliga votes and even made inroads into OBC and Dalit communities. But Muslim voters, who once backed JD(S), shifted to Congress. This proved decisive.
Nikhil admitted, “A certain community’s votes consolidated behind Congress. JD(S) has always stood for the welfare of that community. Deve Gowda himself ensured reservation for them. Despite that, they didn’t vote for us.”
Channapatna’s political dynamics offer insights into this shift. It has 35,000 Muslim voters who played a decisive role in Kumaraswamy’s victories in 2018 and 2023. Historically, with no viable Congress candidate and Yogeeshwara contesting on a BJP ticket, the Muslim community backed Kumaraswamy. However, post2023, his alliance with BJP alienated these voters, who rallied behind Yogeeshwara, now with Congress.
Kumaraswamy’s decision to block Yogeeshwara’s candidacy on a BJP ticket compounded the JD(S) woes. “He should have shown magnanimity by allowing Yogeeshwara to contest for BJP, considering his proven electoral record,” said Ravindra Reshme, a political analyst. Yogeesh- wara’s previous support for Kumaraswamy’s brother-inlaw Dr CN Manjunath in the Lok Sabha polls had created expectations of reciprocal goodwill. “Kumaraswamy’s insistence on a JD(S) ticket for Yogeeshwara created sympathy for him and alienated key voter groups from the party,” said a functionary.
Another factor was the lastminute decision to field Nikhil. “Kumaraswamy had maintained that Nikhil would not contest. But after Yogeeshwara joined Congress, Nikhil was abruptly fielded,” said a party insider. “Challenging a formidable candidate like Yogeeshwara, who has 50,000 dedicated votes, required meticulous planning.
Nikhil’s frequent changes of constituencies further weakened his appeal.”
FACTORS THAT MATTERED➤ Support of DK Shivakumar and DK Suresh to Congress candidate
➤ Allegation of family-centric politics Lack of BJP campaign support
➤ Congress propaganda about HD Kumaraswamy abandoning Channapatna
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