Sushma Swaraj's relations and personal equations with the people of Ballari district in Karnataka were unique in multiple ways, to such an extent that now a feeling persists in their minds as though they have lost their daughter in the passing away of Ms Swaraj!
The former Union External Affairs Minister developed a close rapport with the people of Ballari district, notoriously known for the mining mafia and destruction of natural resources, during the late nineties. She came down to Ballari, way back during the fag end of 1999 to take head-on Sonia Gandhi in the Parliamentary polls. Interestingly, Sonia Gandhi had filed her nomination papers from Ballari Lok Sabha constituency apart from Raybareli, the family's traditional bastion in Uttar Pradesh.
Ballari district, ever since the country gained independence had transformed itself into a fortress of the Indian National Congress(INC) party.
The former Union External Affairs Minister developed a close rapport with the people of Ballari district, notoriously known for the mining mafia and destruction of natural resources, during the late nineties. She came down to Ballari, way back during the fag end of 1999 to take head-on Sonia Gandhi in the Parliamentary polls. Interestingly, Sonia Gandhi had filed her nomination papers from Ballari Lok Sabha constituency apart from Raybareli, the family's traditional bastion in Uttar Pradesh.
Ballari district, ever since the country gained independence had transformed itself into a fortress of the Indian National Congress(INC) party.
This taken for a granted fact was so much omnipotent that Congressmen used to joke among themselves: Even if a donkey is made to contest on behalf of the Congress party in Ballari district, it will triumph with a considerable margin! But all such tall claims soon became part of the glorious past, once the then Union Minister Sushma Swaraj entered the electoral fray during the 1999 Parliamentary elections.
As expected, Sushma Swaraj lost the elections by a margin of 50,100 votes. But in her defeat, she had won the hearts of millions of people and that feeling alone was enough for the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) to gradually transform the hitherto Congress belt into a saffron stronghold.
Sushma Swaraj, soon after her defeat proclaimed: I might have lost the polls technically. But in the meantime, I have won the hearts of many people in the district and such a feeling alone is enough for me to keep visiting this district now and then.She also claimed: I will keep visiting the district as long as I am alive. However, her promise continued only till 2010 as the Gali Janardhan Reddy brothers got embroiled into the mining scam leading to G Janardhan Reddy being imprisoned for four years.
In spite of losing the Ballari Lok Sabha polls, the then Union Minister Sushma Swaraj released funds to the tune of Rs 1,300 crores for the development of Ballari district as a gratitude of love and affection for the district people who reposed faith in her. From then onwards, she made it an annual practice of attending the Vara Mahalakshmi pooja festivities and the mass marriages ceremony organized by B Sriramulu, then upcoming BJP leader. During such frequent visits, she had also transformed herself into a God Mother for the Reddy brothers, who till then had remained small-time players in the district politics.
Thanks to her terrific instinct of picking up the native language in a swift manner, Sushma Swaraj not only addressed public meetings in chaste Kannada but also conversed with the people in their mother tongue! Her constant touch with the Ballari masses paid rich dividends to the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP). During the 2004 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls Karunakara Reddy, the eldest of Reddy brothers emerged as the party MLA while B Sriramulu wrested the Ballari Parliamentary constituency to the party fold for the first time in history!
That was only a beginning as during the subsequent Assembly elections in 2008 but for Sonduru, the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) swept all the remaining seven constituencies! However, during the same interval, Reddy brothers and B Sriramulu had donned the role of kingmakers' and openly rebelled against BS Yeddyurappa, BJP Chief Minister. They hijacked ruling party MLAs' to Hyderabad and Goa resorts to ensure that all their 'genuine demands' were met.
Then it was also no public secret that Sushma Swaraj herself was forced upon to take up the initiative of playing a mediatory role in consoling the angry Reddy brothers. After the truce, Reddy brothers who were fond of calling her as their mother had gone on record: Ultimately victory is ours'!
In 2010 Siddaramaiah, then leader of the opposition in the state Assembly walked on foot from Bengaluru to Ballari to shower a hurl of abuses against the Reddy brothers. To counter the opposition movement, the Reddy brothers had again taken the rescue of Sushma Swaraj.
She had addressed the 'Self Respect Convention' in the Ballari Municipal College grounds during August 2010 which eventually became her last visit to the district.Later she distanced herself with the Reddy brothers and the Ballari district to such unimaginable extent that when mining scam involving the Reddy brothers was at its peak, she claimed in an interview to an English newspaper: I do not know who these Reddy brothers are?
-Manohar Yadavatti
As expected, Sushma Swaraj lost the elections by a margin of 50,100 votes. But in her defeat, she had won the hearts of millions of people and that feeling alone was enough for the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) to gradually transform the hitherto Congress belt into a saffron stronghold.
Sushma Swaraj, soon after her defeat proclaimed: I might have lost the polls technically. But in the meantime, I have won the hearts of many people in the district and such a feeling alone is enough for me to keep visiting this district now and then.She also claimed: I will keep visiting the district as long as I am alive. However, her promise continued only till 2010 as the Gali Janardhan Reddy brothers got embroiled into the mining scam leading to G Janardhan Reddy being imprisoned for four years.
In spite of losing the Ballari Lok Sabha polls, the then Union Minister Sushma Swaraj released funds to the tune of Rs 1,300 crores for the development of Ballari district as a gratitude of love and affection for the district people who reposed faith in her. From then onwards, she made it an annual practice of attending the Vara Mahalakshmi pooja festivities and the mass marriages ceremony organized by B Sriramulu, then upcoming BJP leader. During such frequent visits, she had also transformed herself into a God Mother for the Reddy brothers, who till then had remained small-time players in the district politics.
Thanks to her terrific instinct of picking up the native language in a swift manner, Sushma Swaraj not only addressed public meetings in chaste Kannada but also conversed with the people in their mother tongue! Her constant touch with the Ballari masses paid rich dividends to the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP). During the 2004 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls Karunakara Reddy, the eldest of Reddy brothers emerged as the party MLA while B Sriramulu wrested the Ballari Parliamentary constituency to the party fold for the first time in history!
That was only a beginning as during the subsequent Assembly elections in 2008 but for Sonduru, the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) swept all the remaining seven constituencies! However, during the same interval, Reddy brothers and B Sriramulu had donned the role of kingmakers' and openly rebelled against BS Yeddyurappa, BJP Chief Minister. They hijacked ruling party MLAs' to Hyderabad and Goa resorts to ensure that all their 'genuine demands' were met.
Then it was also no public secret that Sushma Swaraj herself was forced upon to take up the initiative of playing a mediatory role in consoling the angry Reddy brothers. After the truce, Reddy brothers who were fond of calling her as their mother had gone on record: Ultimately victory is ours'!
In 2010 Siddaramaiah, then leader of the opposition in the state Assembly walked on foot from Bengaluru to Ballari to shower a hurl of abuses against the Reddy brothers. To counter the opposition movement, the Reddy brothers had again taken the rescue of Sushma Swaraj.
She had addressed the 'Self Respect Convention' in the Ballari Municipal College grounds during August 2010 which eventually became her last visit to the district.Later she distanced herself with the Reddy brothers and the Ballari district to such unimaginable extent that when mining scam involving the Reddy brothers was at its peak, she claimed in an interview to an English newspaper: I do not know who these Reddy brothers are?
-Manohar Yadavatti
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