The political career of HD Kumaraswamy, the new Karnataka CM

H D Kumaraswamy was sworn-in as 23rd CM of Karnataka. A look at his political career

Haradanahalli Devegowda Kumaraswamy, 58, is the son of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and presently heads the Janata Dal (Secular), or JDS, in Karnataka. Kumaraswamy is referred to by his supporters as 'Kumaranna'.

In 2018 Assembly polls, he contested from two seats in the Karnataka Assembly elections and won from both seats - Channapatna and Ramanagaram. He will now have to resign from one of these two seats, and a bye-election will have to be held within six months.

Kumaraswamy is dubbed as an election machine and started off as a member in his father's party in 1996. He has contested elections nine times in 22 years.
Of these nine polls, Kumaraswamy has won six times (2018, 2013, 2008 and 2004; and LS 2009 and LS 1996 ) and lost thrice (1999; and Lok Sabha 1999 and 1998). He skipped the Lok Sabha polls twice in 2004, 2014.

Kumaraswamy was elected as the Karnataka CM for a short term from February 2006 to November 2007. At that time, JD(S) had a power sharing agreement with the BJP and Kumaraswamy was supposed to hand over the CM's post to BS Yeddyurappa. But he refused to resign, which led to the President's rule in the state.

In his political career, Kumaraswamy has allegedly exposed a number of corrupt activities by other political parties in the state by releasing related audio and video CD evidences, due to which he is popularly known as C D Kumara.

Before entering active politics, Kumaraswamy was a noted film producer, distributor and exhibitor. He has said in interviews that he entered the film industry after being enamoured with Kannada film icon Rajkumar.

His son, HK Nikhil Gowda, is an upcoming actor in the Kannada film industry. Nikhil Gowda took part in the pre-poll campaigning for his father, grandfather and uncle and also brought famous film industry faces on the campaign trail.

The swearing-in of Kumaraswamy as the chief minister of Karnataka and the BJP's failure in forming a government is being seen as the forming of a third front to take on the BJP in 2019, which might disrupt BJP's dream to rule for the next five years.