BENGALURU: The quiet campaign of a corporate honcho is turning heads in KR Puram constituency. Though a political greenhorn, Lingaraj Urs is oozing the confidence of a veteran as the flex boards and banners introduce him to the electorate as the "Grandson of former Chief Minister and revolutionary leader D Devaraj Urs."
The 53-year-old founder president of IT company Genisys Software India, Lingaraj Urs is presently the gram panchayat member of Kannamangala near Whitefield. The grand nephew of Devaraj Urs takes pride in connecting with the electorate by introducing himself as the "grandson of Devaraj Urs." Ironically, it is his determination to end the political culture of Congress, which his grand uncle represented, that has made him take the plunge in politics.
"Congress is no more the party it was when my grandfather represented it. Today, Congress stands for corruption and anti-development," says Lingaraj.
The rampant corruption at all levels that Lingaraj witnessed during his stint as the corporate head of his company, his bitter experiences with government officials, the failure of elected representatives in getting basic amenities to citizens proved the trigger to take the plunge into public life.
"I was always inspired by my grandfather (actually grand uncle) Devaraj Urs and the desire to give something back to society was always there. The success of AAP and Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi convinced me to jump into electoral battle this time," Lingaraj told The New Indian Express.
Lingaraj is not deterred by money power and political strength of sitting MLA of Congress Byrathi Basavaraj. "His (Basavaraj) political strength comes from money. You just can't pay and expect loyalty. That is what will cost Basavaraj this time. He has spent `3,000 crore and has not done any work in the constituency," alleges Lingaraj.
BJP is yet to announce its candidate for the constituency and Lingaraj has already started the campaign. He is confident of putting up a strong fight without splurging big money. "I will put up a clean fight on principles, not money. That is our difference. We have the committed cadres to reach out to the voters," Lingaraj adds.
Providing good education, health services and civic amenities to the citizens is Lingaraj's poll promises and he is showcasing the achievements of Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi to convince the electorate. "If we can do it in Delhi and Punjab, we can do it in Karnataka too," is his catch line to woo those who do not see AAP as a strong contender in Karnataka's political arena which is dominated by Congress, BJP and JD(S).