Nikhil Kumaraswamy Files Nomination for Channapatna By-Election
Nikhil Kumaraswamy contests Channapatna by-election under NDA, backed by BJP, against Congress’s C.P. Yogeshwar
Bengaluru: After defeat in Ramanagar Assembly seat on Janata Dal Secular ticket in 2023, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, tries his luck in Channapatna Assembly seat by-poll as a nominee of National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He entered the fray as a JDS nominee backed by BJP.
Earlier to his contest from Ramanagar seat, Nikhil unsuccessfully contested the Mandya Lok Sabha seat in 2019.
He filed his nominations in Channapatna Tahsildhar’s office in Ramanagar district. The Channapatna Assembly seat was represented by Nikhil’s father H.D. Kumaraswamy in 2018 and 2023 and this Assembly seat is considered to be a JDS bastion. However, Nikhil’s mother Anitha Kumaraswamy once tried her luck from Channapatna in the 2013 election and lost to C.P. Yogeshwar then a Samajwadi Party nominee.
Nikhil is the president of State Youth Janata Dal Secular (JDS) and JDS is part of NDA led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). After a series of meetings between alliance partners- Nikhil’s candidature was announced for Channapatna by-poll.
Prior to filing his papers, Nikhil told reporters in Bengaluru that voters of Channapatna will vote for him in the by-poll considering the contributions made by his grandfather and former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda and his father H.D. Kumaraswamy.
In Channapatna, Nikhil is all set to have a straight fight with Congress nominee and former minister C.P. Yogeshwar. C.P. Yogeshwar is a five time MLA from Channapatna Assembly seat.
Yogeshwar won 1999 as an independent nominee, won the 2004 and 2008 elections as a Congress nominee, won Channapatna by-poll as BJP nominee in 2011 and in 2013, he won on Samajwadi Party ticket. Quitting BJP, Yogeshwar returned to the Congress party and set for the contest in Channapatna.
In filing his nominations, Nikhil was accompanied by his father H.D. Kumaraswamy, Leader of Opposition in Assembly and BJP MLA R. Ashok, former Chief Minister and BJP leader D.V. Sadananda Gowda, former minister Dr Ashwathnarayan among others. In 2023, Kumaraswamy won from Channapatna Assembly seat and resigned following his victory in the Mandya parliamentary election in 2024.