18 May,2009 08:51 AM IST | | S R Ramakrishna
Four former chief ministers have won, and are packing their bags for Delhi, but a fifth will have to walk into the sunset Destination Delhi: (Clockwise) Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy, Dharam Singh, Janardhana Swamy and Veerappa Moily
Four former chief ministers have won from Karnataka, and are going to Delhi. A fifth, S Bangarappa, has lost.
Here's a brief introduction to the big winners and losers this time:
H D Deve Gowda: Karnataka's most famous politician has won from Hassan, his home district. His party, the JD(S), has won only three seats, and the truth is, he hadn't really expected more. His power to cut deals would have been enormous in a hung parliament. This former prime minister has also served as chief minister, but uncharitable critics say he's best when he's meddling in zilla and gram panchayat politics. All through yesterday, the voluble politician sat at home with a sore throat, and mixed feelings.
H D Kumaraswamy: Has trounced Tejaswini (Congress), the young journalist-turned-politician who had once humbled his dad. He had secretly visited Sonia two days before the votes were counted, reportedly to offer support for the UPA, even though his party is officially in the Third Front. The former chief minister was eyeing a central cabinet berth, but his hopes are receding, now that the Congress doesn't need his support so badly.
Veerappa Moily: This former Congress chief minister hails from the coast, and contested for the first time from Chikballapur, near Bangalore. He got sacked from the Congress spokesman's post just before counting day for overstepping his brief and saying something imprudent about a potential ally. Loves to write and do the Yakshagana, and could make a mark as a debater in parliament. He has described his win as a political rebirth.
Dharam Singh: Another former Congress chief minister who will move from state to national politics. His best friend Mallikarjuna Kharge, a chief ministerial aspirant through the years, has won from Gulbarga, and will accompany him on his Delhi jaunt. Dharam Singh, who has won from Bidar, joins the other former chief ministers who would rather be doing politics in Karnataka.
Janardhana Swamy: The IIT grad and software engineer came back to India after giving up a cushy job in the US. He went back to his native Chitradurga, in central Karnataka, in the hope of becoming an MP. No party took him seriously, but the BJP finally gave him a ticket. He has stunned everyone by romping home to victory. Many believe there's a Swades in the making here.
H Vishwanath: The impish Congressman who kicked up a row by disclosing party leader S M Krishna's youthful fling with a movie star has won from Mysore.
Karnatakaat a glance
Total Seats: 28
BJP: 19
Congress:u00a06
JD(S): 3
