He is the chief minister’s son. An upcoming hero of Sandalwood. Till a few years ago, he was a fun-loving youngster who would hang out with friends and drive around Bengaluru in high-end cars. He would turn into a poll manager for his parents during elections. Now, he is in the race to be the political heir to his grandfather, H.D. Deve Gowda, who heads the Janata Dal (Secular), the longest surviving regional party in Karnataka.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy is contesting his first election—from Mandya, the sugar belt of south Karnataka and the heartland of Vokkaliga politics. Despite growing up in a political family, Nikhil was first drawn towards the silver screen, and has had two film releases. His father, H.D. Kumaraswamy, too, was a film distributor and producer before joining politics.
Nikhil will be taking on veteran actor Sumalatha, wife of Congress leader Ambareesh, who died recently. It is a tough battle for Nikhil, the JD(S)-Congress coalition candidate, as Sumalatha has the backing of the BJP, local Congress leaders and cadres—who are irked by the Gowda clan’s foray into Mandya—the film fraternity and ‘rebel star’ Ambareesh’s huge fan following. Many villagers in Mandya also see Nikhil as an outsider, and there was a ‘Go back, Nikhil’ campaign on social media, too. But, he has been calling on Congress leaders along with his mother, Anitha, attending luncheon meetings with community leaders, visiting local temples and holding roadshows in every taluk. He also abstains from making personal attacks against Sumalatha, as her son, Abhishek, is a good friend. It could also be a strategy to project himself as an amicable leader. But, Nikhil’s personal life has come under the scanner; he is being mocked for his failed engagement with a college friend. His parents are now busy bride-hunting, he joked while answering a question during a public meeting.
Nikhil cut his teeth in politics in Chikkaballapur during his father’s Lok Sabha campaign in 2014. Kumaraswamy, however, lost the seat to sitting MP Veerappa Moily of the Congress. Nikhil campaigned in the Old Mysuru region, the JD(S) stronghold, during the last assembly elections, to assist his ailing father, who has had two heart surgeries.
In his last film, Seetharama Kalyana (2019), directed by A. Harsha and produced by his mother, Nikhil was portrayed as a mass leader and a saviour of farmers. His critics saw the film, which makes constant references to the Gowda family and its brand of politics, as his political launchpad. Free tickets of the movie were distributed in Mandya as an image-building exercise. Also, after the party announced his candidature, a video clip showing the audio release of Nikhil’s first film, Jaguar (2016), held in Mandya, went viral on social media. In the video, Kumaraswamy calls out from the dais, “Nikhil, elliddiya (Nikhil, where are you)?” And, he emerges from the crowd, saying that he is among those who are dear to his grandfather and father.
Nikhil’s plea to the people of Mandya is to consider him as a son and a servant. “You have the right to reprimand me if I make mistakes,” he said, adding that he would serve them till his last breath.
NIKHIL KUMARASWAMY, 31
EDUCATION
Bachelor’s in business administration, Periyar University
POLITICAL LINKS
Grandfather H.D. Deve Gowda is former prime minister and Hassan MP; father, H.D. Kumaraswamy, is Karnataka chief minister and Channapatna MLA; and mother, Anitha, is Ramanagara MLA