Narayana Gowda, who became a second time minister in the BJP-lead government within a span of 17 months, has a great responsibility to shoulder ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls, as he is the only minister from Mysuru region — comprising Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Hassan districts.
Earlier, on February 6, 2020, Narayana Gowda from KR Pet of Mandya district was sworn-in as a minister. A three-time MLA in two terms, he crossed over to the BJP from JD(S) in July 2019. With the resignation of B S Yediyurappa as chief minister on June 26, he ceased to be minister.
Caste uncertainity
As per the caste arithmetics, whether one likes it or not, Gowda is made minister under ‘Vokkaliga quota’. He is expected to strengthen the BJP in the old Mysuru region, where Congress and the JD(S) are the major players, due to the dominance of Vokkaligas. However, it has to be noted that Vokkaligas of the region will not vote en masse for the BJP just because Gowda has been made minister, and forget their earlier ‘icons’ and party affiliations. Besides, it has to be noted that Lingayats and other castes, like Kurubas and SCs and STs and minorities, are either dominant or deciding factors, in some of the Assembly segments.
It has to be recalled that Mysuru region has played an important role in both state and national politics. Mysuru was the capital of Mysuru state, up to 1956. The state itself was ‘Mysuru’, till a Mysurean himself, then chief minister D Devaraja Urs, renamed it as ‘Karnataka’, in 1973. The princely Mysuru state comprised the present 15 districts. Earlier, Mandya and Chamarajanagar were also part of Mysuru district.
Prominence of Mysuru
Regardless of who was the chief minister of Karnataka, Mysuru region has always played a prominent role in state politics. Out of 23 CMs (30 terms), so far, six are from here. While H D Deve Gowda and his son H D Kumaraswamy from Hardanahalli in Hassan went on to become chief ministers, the senior became prime minister also. Two leaders from Mysuru district — D Devaraja Urs (Hosahalli, Hunsur taluk) and Siddaramaiah (Siddaramanahundi, Mysuru taluk) — and two from Mandya district — S M Krishna (Somanahalli, Maddur taluk) and B S Yediyurappa (Bukanakere in KR Pet) — became chief ministers.
In-charge
If Narayana Gowda is made in-charge minister of Mandya district, outsiders will have have to be imposed on Mysuru, Hassan, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu. Such ministers can join hands with Narayana Gowda to balance the ‘political arithmetic’. However, being the native minister of the region, he should maintain cordial relationship with the other ministers and strive for the development of the region. Besides, he should become acceptable of both BJP leaders and workers and people of all sections.