BENGALURU: Just a few decades ago, there were no elections in Mysuru in which the royal family did not play a role. In recent times however, thanks to increasing importance being given to money power and caste equations, the family finds itself relegated to the sidelines. Once likened to gods who would tour the constituency, wave at crowds and rake in the votes, the family, over the past generation, seems to have wilfully distanced itself from active politics. Mired in legal tussles with the state government and unwilling to enter the cut-throat world of caste based politics, the family has chosen instead to focus on more royal duties. The 26th scion of the royal family, Srikantdutta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, contested on a Congress ticket and won, as far back as 1984, and secured two more terms in parliament in 1996 and 1998.
Long-time residents remember him traversing the streets, being treated like a god and welcomed ceremoniously into villages. However, by 2004, the winds of change were blowing and Srikantadutta Wadiyar lost the elections that year. Faced with a defeat which was hard to understand or accept, the scion withdrew instead to other pursuits like fashion designing, promoting Mysore silk with the Gandaberunda brand and instead won the post of President of the Karnataka State Cricket Association.
From having thousands of people line up just to get a glimpse of a royal sitting on the golden ‘howdah’ during Vijaydashmi, the family was reduced to watching from the sidelines as elections became more and more expensive to contest and win. Congress leaders still speak with respect and love about the family but feel that the space for them to grow has shrunk considerably in an era of competitive politics between dominant communities, other backward classes and dalits.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, political commentator Professor Muzaffar Asadi said that the distance being maintained by the family from politics was part of the democratisation process and signalled the end of feudalism, reducing them to just nominal kings.
Sudden death heralds exit
The sudden demise of Srikantadutta Wadiyar in 2013, led to a lot of pressure on Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, his wife to re-enter the field of politics. After the anointment of Yaduveer Krishnadutta Narasimharaja Wadiyar in 2015, the pressure increased. Leaders like BJP president Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others held talks with Yaduveer and Pramoda Devi, trying to convince mother and son, but to no avail. While many rumours did the rounds, the family maintained their distance, clarifying several times that they were not interested. They chose instead to be content with aspiring candidates, calling on them during the elections. This has also changed this year, with the elections largely becoming a two-way battle between the BJP and the Congress- JD(S) combine. The family continues to maintain a respectable distance from all parties. Recently, Yaduveer, while meeting actor Upendra at the Mysore palace, said that the palace doors would remain open to anyone with new ideas and plans to improve the quality of life of the people.