Bengaluru: Yaduveer Krishadatta Chamaraja Wodeyar, the scion of the former ruling dynasty of Mysuru, had hinted at the possibility of his joining politics in the coming days.
On Saturday, he paid a maiden visit to the state’s seat of power, Vidhana Soudha. Mediapersons sought his stand on the same subject. He said that he could not say much about the state or central political situation. ‘Only time will tell,’ he said in a cryptic way.
But he expressed happiness over his first-ever visit to the magnificent building. Speaking on the dispute over the property related to the royal family of Mysuru, he said that Pramoda Devi was handling the issue and declined to disclose anything further.
Observers say that it would be interesting to see what exactly his political affiliations would be, to take a plunge into politics. The husband of his foster-mother and the previous scion, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Bahadur, was a long-time Congress loyalist.
In 1984, he contested from Mysuru in Lok Shaba elections on a Congress ticket and defeated independent candidate K P Shantamurthy. He defected to the BJP in 1991, but lost the elections badly to Chandraprabha Urs of the Congress.
Later returning to Congress, he won the Lok Shaba elections in 1996 and 1999, but lost the 2004 Lok Sabha election. The long-time association with Congress apart, there are chances of Yaduveer’s staying as an independent or the BJP wooing him.
Sources close to the family have cited his and Pramoda Devi’s recent visit to a Hanuman shrine in Puttur taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, which is said to be run by those active in the BJP and the RSS. They were accorded such a rousing welcome at Ishwaramangala as though they were de-facto rulers of a modern-day kingdom.
This was in the backdrop of a growing opinion among the public that the glorification of the former royalty, esp., in celebrating Dasara in the form of Jamboo Savari and other rituals was out of place and incongruous in independent Indian democracy.
Yet, their decision to visit Hanumagiri, which was the first prominent visit for Yaduveer to a holy place, attracted a lot of interest and attention. This could pave way for Yaduveer’s showing preference to the BJP when choosing a political identity, the sources said.
Besides, the modern educated youth who have studied abroad show a natural bent of mind towards the BJP, whatever the ground realities back home are. Since the Swamiji of Sringeri is regarded as a guide and mentor, his advice too is expected to play a crucial role in the decision.
All said and done, Yaduveer will have the final word since he has said that he has an open mind, while stressing that he would soon take an decision in the matter.
A recent, related headline:
Puttur: Mysuru Royal Family Members to Visit Hanumagiri in Ishwaramangala
