HD Kumaraswamy: Man who helmed state twice gets a stint at the Centre

In May last year, the Janata Dal (Secular) faced what many political observers saw as an existential crisis. The party, once considered kingmakers in Karnataka, lost 18 seats and 5% of its vote share in the elections. Their core voter base, the Vokkaliga community, had swung towards the Congress, further exacerbating their woes. The situation worsened when JD(S) state president and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy suffered a mild stroke.

Kumaraswamy’s discharge from the hospital on August 30 marked a symbolic “third birth” for him, following two previous cardiac surgeries. This event heralded a dramatic comeback for both him and his party. The JD(S) not only regained its Vokkaliga support base but also secured a cabinet portfolio in the union government through a strategic alliance in 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Although the party’s seat count increased modestly from one to two, their role in reducing Congress’s influence in south Karnataka has been pivotal for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Few names in Karnataka’s politics evoke as much intrigue and drama as HD Kumaraswamy. Born into the influential Gowda family on December 16, 1959, in Haradanahalli, Hassan district, Karnataka, Kumaraswamy’s life has been a roller-coaster of soaring highs and devastating lows. Known affectionately as “Kumaranna” to his followers, he has been a kingmaker, a chief minister, and an “unreliable partner who found friends even after betrayals,” as described by a Congress leader.

Kumaraswamy, son of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, completed his education at the National College in Bengaluru. Initially, he did not aspire to enter politics, preferring the film industry, where he produced and distributed Kannada films. However, the political legacy of his family soon drew him into the political arena. In 1996, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Kanakapura constituency, marking the beginning of his political career.

The political drama surrounding Kumaraswamy began in 2006 when he, then a relatively junior player in state politics, executed a surprising political manoeuvre. The Karnataka assembly elections had left no party with a clear majority. Kumaraswamy, leading a faction of JD(S), broke away from an earlier agreement with the Congress and allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), despite the ideological differences between the two parties. This alliance allowed him to become the chief minister of Karnataka. However, internal strife plagued the coalition, leading to its collapse in 2007 when Kumaraswamy resigned after the BJP accused him of not honouring the power-sharing agreement and withdrew support.

The 2018 state elections set the stage for another dramatic chapter in Kumaraswamy’s political saga. The elections resulted in a hung assembly, with no party securing an outright majority. Seizing the opportunity, Kumaraswamy formed a post-poll alliance with the Congress to keep the BJP out of power. Despite ideological differences and historical enmity, the JD(S)-Congress coalition formed the government, with Kumaraswamy once again taking the oath as CM without his party winning the majority. However, this coalition was unstable, with constant threats from internal dissent and external pressures. The relationship between Kumaraswamy and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah was particularly strained, leading to defections that eventually caused the government’s collapse in 2019.

Wooing to hit back at the Congress, in 2023, Kumaraswamy began his assembly elections saying it would be his last. This declaration was not just a retirement plan but a strategic move to galvanise the party base. The 2023 elections were a high-stakes drama, with Kumaraswamy contesting from the Channapatna constituency against BJP’s CP Yogeshwara. The tension on election day was palpable, and Kumaraswamy’s lead fluctuated, keeping supporters on edge. Ultimately, he won by a margin of 15,915 votes. Despite his personal victory, JD(S) managed to win only 19 out of the contested 204 seats, a low point in the party’s history.

After staying on the fence, in September last year, HD Kumaraswamy entered into an alliance with the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Although the alliance didn’t dramatically change JD(S)’ fortunes, as it contested fewer seats than before, it significantly impacted Congress in south Karnataka.

For example, in the Bengaluru rural seat, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar’s brother DK Suresh was defeated by NDA candidate and Kumaraswamy’s brother-in-law CN Manjunath. In the assembly polls held last year, the Congress polled 812,000 votes in the eight constituencies under Bangalore Rural. In 2024, Congress retained its base with 807,000 votes, but the BJP, benefiting from the JD(S) vote transfer, received 1.07 million votes. This vote transfer was successful in other constituencies as well, except in Hassan, where a sex scandal negatively affected the alliance. Consequently, the Congress failed to win any seats in the Vokkaliga heartland.

Speaking about Kumaraswamy’s new position, chairman of the JD(S) core committee GT Deve Gowda recalled a prophetic statement by the party’s patriarch, HD Deve Gowda: “In 1996, while leaving office, our patriarch said that the party would return from the ashes like a phoenix. Before this election, we wouldn’t have survived politically, but now we have a minister at the centre. Now that Kumaraswamy is in the union, all 19 MLAs will continue the jobs of being the voice of the opposition in the assembly.”

Political scientist Professor Muzaffar Assadi said: “The post of the union minister is the perk of the alliance than a result of the resounding victory. Yes, his party has helped the BJP. Now, what ministry he gets will make an impact. Also, how he will deal with the river projects as the minister will also impact his party’s performance in the coming elections.”