BENGALURU: JDS youth leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who is being projected as the party’s new face, has been tasked with building the party and energising its base with a statewide missed call campaign.
Despite his repeated electoral failures, Nikhil, son of former CM HD Kumaraswamy and grandson of JDS patriarch and former PM HD Deve Gowda, has been elevated within the party, recently taking charge as JDS youth wing president. The party is projecting the young leader as the next big hope.
Nikhil’s political journey so far has been marked by three major defeats -- the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Mandya, 2023 Assembly election from Ramanagara, and recent bypoll defeat from Channapatna, a seat vacated by his father.
Yet, rather than being sidelined, Nikhil will take up his new task of connecting with 50 lakh people. “We have assigned a task to our workers. Starting tomorrow, we will visit several districts over two months. We will initially cover around 23 districts and later move to other areas,” Nikhil said. This high-visibility campaign is seen as an effort to not just rebuild the JDS network, but also to project Nikhil as a dynamic, grassroots leader with statewide ambitions.
“Nikhil is speaking on important topics although he has won no election,” said political analyst BS Murthy. “The JDS launched him as youth president and while his cousins Prajwal and Suraj Revanna are almost out of public life, Nikhil is emerging as the new leader.”
“The JDS has not groomed a leader outside the ‘first family’, which has come back to bite it now. A few decades ago, the Janata Parivar was considered a factory for leaders like MP Prakash and Siddaramaiah, but today it has no visible faces. With no succession plan outside the family, they are left with only Nikhil,’’ Murthy said. The party’s strategy reflects a generational shift. With Gowda in his nineties and Kumaraswamy visibly scaling back public engagements, Nikhil appears to be the torchbearer.
Not everyone is convinced. “They want him to be in politics and visible. Being a future CM may sound like a distant dream,” cautioned Prof PS Jayaramu, former professor at Bangalore University.
The core question now is whether Karnataka’s electorate will view Nikhil as a legitimate contender or just another dynastic experiment. With politics becoming increasingly competitive, the party’s future may depend on whether Nikhil transforms from political heir to credible mass leader.
I’m fine and ready to lead, says Kumaraswamy about his health
Bengaluru: Dismissing rumours about his health, Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday affirmed he is strong and ready to lead. He predicted a JDS-BJP alliance victory in the next Assembly election and urged party-workers to counter misinformation confidently, asserting that the alliance would form the next government in Karnataka.
Calling upon the Congress government in the state to release a white paper detailing the financial status of Kalyana Karnataka, Kumaraswamy questioned the administration’s development record in the region, asking how much funding was allocated and how it was spent. “What has actually changed in Kalyana Karnataka?” he questioned, addressing a JDS event in Bengaluru, while also targeting AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge for his long tenure without significant regional progress.
Kumaraswamy criticised the state’s focus on infrastructure without addressing core issues, like lack of doctors in hospitals. He pointed to the failure of Bengaluru’s infrastructure as evidence of misplaced priorities. He accused the Congress of administrative failures, referencing the KPSC appointment issues and the stampede incident at M Chinnaswamy stadium. Questioning the impact of guarantee schemes like Gruha Lakshmi, he argued that governance requires more than just cash handouts.
HDk: Kannadigas in Israel will return safely
Bengaluru: Union minister HD Kumaraswamy made a video call to Kannadigas stranded in Israel because of the ongoing conflict. Sharing this on social media, Kumaraswamy said he inquired about their wellbeing and assured them that the matter is being pursued with the MEA to ensure their safe and swift return to India. He also conveyed to them that the Centre, under PM Narendra Modi, is doing everything within its capacity to ensure the safety and welfare of all Indian nationals abroad.