DAVANGERE: Taking his first steps in electoral politics, Samarth Shamanur Mallikarjun (27) is walking barefoot. The Congress candidate in Davanagere South is the son of minister SS Mallikarjun and MP Dr Prabha Mallikarjun.
Samarth is no stranger to politics. He is coming from a family of politicians. He had campaigned for his late grandfather, Dr Shamanur Shivashankarappa, and father, SS Mallikarjun, during the 2023 Assembly polls and for his mother, Dr Prabha Mallikarjun, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
And he is a staunch believer.
Despite the scorching summer, he was seen trudging the lanes of Old Davanagere, meeting people and requesting them to vote for him.
Samarth, however, does not attach much importance to his campaign style. “Why are you looking at my feet? Just look at my future goals of making Davanagere South one of the best constituencies in the state,” he said. Prabha Mallikarjun says her son has been inspired by Veerabhadraswamy Kondotsva to go barefoot till the votes are counted.
“Kondotsava is usually held in March-April. The festival had coincided with the Assembly polls in 2023. Samarth had walked on coals of fire and from then onwards he made it a practice to walk barefoot during the elections. His grandfather and father had won comfortably,” she said.
“Later during my elections to Parliament, too, he walked barefoot for more than two months till the results were announced. It was a spiritual experience for him,” she explained.
“After the 2024 elections, we went to Gangotri and Yamunotri. Despite snow and cold he again walked barefoot. While boarding the plane at New Delhi it was 42 degree Celsius. He was undeterred and boarded the plane barefoot back to Davanagere,” she said.
Prabha said that Samarth has grown up seeing his grandfather and father work tirelessly for the people. “He has closely worked with me and watched parliamentary proceedings. Age is not a criterion for the development of one’s constituency. He will make Davanagere South one of the best constituencies in the country,” she added.