GS Basavaraju - an old bull raring to go for Karnataka BJP

Though 76 years old, the BJP candidate from Tumkur follows a schedule so rigorous that it could beat fitness trainers.
GS Basavaraju meeting Adichunchanagiri mutt seer on Thursday | Express
GS Basavaraju meeting Adichunchanagiri mutt seer on Thursday | Express

TUMAKURU: On Tuesday, 76-year-old GS Basavaraju woke up as usual at 3.30am and started a day which would end beyond midnight. Awake long before daybreak, the four-time parliamentarian from Tumakuru started his day with an hour of yoga. 

Those who know Basavaraju say that this is his schedule regardless of whether there is an election or not. Known as a political warrior who has his grit intact, the septuagenarian will take on HD Deve Gowda, another politician known for keeping work hours that would put younger men to shame. 

“For an old bull ploughing the fields, every season is easy. It is just another election and I will reap a rich harvest this time too,” the confident politician told The New Indian Express. As the BJP candidate for the Tumkur seat, Basavaraju prefers to be likened to an old bull, as befits his name, instead of an old horse.

For those who would want to compare the two, there are many similarities to be found. “In the district, he personally knows and recognises political workers by name,” remarks Hareesh, a Gram Panchayat member from Palasandra. Like Gowda, Basavaraju also loves his ‘mudde’ and ‘soppu’ and relishes it every day. “I eat half a kg of ‘soppu’ (green leaves), during the night. It is my staple food,” he says proudly. 

Basavaraju has been a diabetic for almost 30 years and relies on insulin shots for when his blood sugar levels rise. By dawn, he is raring to start his day and begins with meeting workers and visiting houses of friends and acquaintances. People say that someone who is annoyed with him will be paid a visit as soon as possible. 

On the national stage, the stalwart leader has not had good luck. When Deve Gowda became the Prime Minister in 1996, Basavaraju had already won two Lok Sabha elections. His wins in 1999 and 2009 as a Congress and a BJP nominee did not result in a cabinet post as the parties were unable to muster a majority to rule. “Otherwise, he would have joined the central cabinet,” said KN Puttalingaiah, an analyst.

Thursday was another busy day for Basavaraju, who managed to cover Tumakuru, Gubbi and Madhugiri where he even visited eight families at the ‘handijogi’ colony of people from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. In the middle of his campaign run, he also attended hundreds of phone calls. 

“I take naps in my car during poll season. This is how I manage my sleep,” he says, when asked how he survives with just 2 and a half hours of sleep daily. Awake for almost 20 hours a day, he manages to cram enough into his schedule to ensure he has a solid lead compared to Deve Gowda. 

A leader for all castes

While he is a strong Lingayat leader, Basavaraju has never discriminated against leaders based on caste and has taken under his wing leaders like Veeranna Gowda, a Vokkaliga. He drives home the point that he cannot be bracketed as a leader of a particular caste. 

Brought son into politics

A loyalist of state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa, Basavaraju brought his engineering graduate son G B Jyotiganesh into politics during the 2013 assembly polls from Tumakuru City on a KJP ticket but he won in 2018 on a BJP ticket. Interestingly, an ex-loyalist of DyCM played a  pivotal role in this election as Basavaraju is popular among Congress leaders too. 

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The New Indian Express
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