MYSURU: Even as reports are doing the rounds of the scion of erstwhile Mysuru royal family, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, contesting the Lok Sabha polls from the Mysuru-Kodagu constituency on a BJP ticket, it is said that Congress too has extended an invite to him to be the party candidate.
Though it is almost certain that BJP is fielding a new face from the Mysuru-Kodagu seat, the royal family has not come out in public to say whether Yaduveer would contest the election. It has now come to light that Congress, desperate for winnable candidates, had approached the young royal, who appeals to people across communities, to contest on a party ticket.
Highly placed sources said the party leadership made the offer a few weeks ago. “Neither Yaduveer nor Rajmata Pramoda Devi Wadiyar has responded yet,” they added. Congress has good relations with the royal family as the previous scion, Srikanatadatta Narashimaraja Wadiyar, had contested from Congress and won four times, but lost once. He gave up the seat in 2009 and former minister AH Vishwanath won the Lok Sabha polls.
Congressmen are confident that the royal family will not seek an adventure by going with BJP as Srikanatadatta, when he contested on a BJP ticket, lost the election in 1991 against Congress candidate and Devaraj Urs’ daughter Chandraprabha Urs as Dalits, Muslims and other oppressed sections did not shift their loyalties to the party.
The royal family has though kept itself away from politics even before the passing of Srikantadatta, it has maintained strong relations with politicians of all parties.
The state BJP unit had made a strong bid to change the mind of the royal family when it made Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold a meeting with Yaduveer and Pramoda Devi during his first visit to Mysuru.
Modi also had breakfast with the royals when he attended the Yoga Day celebrations in Mysuru a few years ago. Union Home Minister Amit Shah too had called on them in the run-up to the Assembly elections last year, sending feelers that BJP is warming up to the royal family.
It is said the party also tried to approach Yaduveer through his father-in-law Harshavardhan Singh of the Dungarpur royal family, who is a former Rajya Sabha member and BJP leader from Rajasthan.
BJP leaders believe that fielding Yaduveer would have a positive effect across Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Hassan as people from the region have an emotional attachment to the royal family. They feel Yaduveer can attract youth and educated masses towards the party, consolidating its hold in the Mysuru region, considered to be a stronghold of Congress.