Bengaluru: She is the wife of Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy and a politician in her own right. No stranger to elections, Ms Anita Kumaraswamy is now contesting the Ramanagara bypoll to win the seat vacated by her husband, who won from two constituencies in the May assembly poll and chose to retain Channapatna and give up Ramanagara. While she says she has dreams for the constituency, they don't seem to include a ministerial berth for herself for the moment. She, however, doesn't rule out the possibility in the future. Excerpts from an interview :
This is your third election in this district. How do you feel?
Our family has an emotional bonding with Ramanagara. My father-in-law won from this constituency and became Chief Minister and then Prime Minister. My husband represented this constituency since 2004 and became Chief Minister for the first time from it. Both Mr Deve Gowda and Mr Kumaraswamy have made their own contribution to it. Mr Kumaraswamy created a new district and made Ramanagara its headquarters. Like them, I too have my own dreams for the constituency, which has given so much to our family. I will work towards them.
What are your dreams?
We have been out of power for the last 12 years. I can't say it was due to politics, but some of the developmental work started during that time have not been completed. My first priority is to complete them. However, the Rajiv Gandhi Health University is my biggest concern. I want it to be completed at any cost and during my term. Also, most of the women and youth I meet in the constituency have no economic support. I want to start training centres for them to help them contribute economically to their families. We need to ensure that the constituency attracts entrepreneurs, who would need their skills.
You are working with the Congress, which you once bitterly fought. How does it feel?
Initially, there was some unease. We had a series of meetings with our party members, and then the Congress members before holding joint meetings. We convinced them why we need to work together. Initially, the workers were hesitant and some were unhappy in both camps. As the election campaigning began and progressed, everyone accepted the reality. It is a political compulsion and we have to work together.
Now that you are a seasoned politician are you aspiring to be a minister?
I don't think it is possible now. My husband is Chief Minister and I cannot aspire to become a minister in his cabinet. It is not fair to ask. However, I don't know about the future.
Apart from becoming MLA, what else do you have in your mind?
There are a lot of things I feel like doing. Whenever some people, especially women and the old tell me their problems, some ideas come to me. But I realise that such problems are there all over the state and that's why people come to meet the Chief Minister and personally hand over their petitions listing thier demands. There are certain patterns to such problems. We need a methodical approach to address them and cannot be emotional. I am studying the patterns and trying to come out with a solution. It may take a while.
