Among city's three important constituencies, namely Chamaraja, Krishnaraja and Narasimharaja, Chamaraja seems to be, in a manner of speaking, a reserved constituency for Vokkaligas for the reason that in the past about 25 years all the three mainline national political parties have been fielding Vokkaliga candidates in this constituency. As a result, Vokkaliga candidates belonging to different political parties have been elected from this constituency. This time, however, the voters seem to be looking for a sort of a “Brand Ambassador” for their constituency who will bring about not only a drastic change in the matter of infrastructure for their constituency but also to the heritage city itself. A large number of voters this newspaper interviewed at random suggest that they are looking this time not only for a change but also for someone who will deliver and that someone is Mr. Vasu, except for a very few whom this paper interviewed.

Surprisingly, some of them said though they did not like the Congress party they would still vote for Vasu, whom they said they like for reasons of help rendered to them in the matter of their personal problems. His elevation to power will benefit not only Chamaraja constituency, but the whole city and even the whole district, some people feel. He is not a politician to play to the gallery unlike many other politicians of his time.
Having overcome successfully the major hurdle which hit the City Congress in the form of a tussle between the “original” and “migrated” Congressmen before the elections were announced, Vasu has taken into confidence all sections of the City Congress, which seems to be his strength this time. There is no grumbling in the Congress circles about his candidature, as many claim, for he was the only serious contender for the party ticket some others being “also ran” contenders.

With this rare kind of perfect unity among the Congressmen, Vasu is leading his campaign brigade from the front, making in- roads into the vote banks of other parties which hitherto were either hostile or inaccessible to Congress. He is confident that this election would bulldoze all myths regarding vote bank politics. An interview with him drops hints at the outcome of the May 10 elections.

Everyone, including common man, feels that 2008 Assembly election is going to be totally different. If you endorse this view, in what way is it different?
Yes, it is really different all over the State so also in Chamaraja constituency. During my campaign trail I was surprised to find that the people this time are yearning for a change and for a new face to represent them. Having seen the 20 - month disgusting misrule of JD(S) and BJP, the educated voters and common man alike are joining the Congress wave. They want a new “Brand Ambassador” for Chamaraja. Wherever I went, residents complained to me that the development works and improvement in the civic amenities were inadequate during a whole decade and everything is superficial. Having disillusioned with their previous representative, they seem to have decided to back Congress. Moreover, I am not a stranger to them.

Okay, how is the voters’ response to you?
Wonderful, tremendous, really great. I am asking them to vote for me promising them speedy development works.

So you are chanting development mantra. What is the first item on your agenda if you are elected?
It is a tragedy that in the rat race of city improvement, we have really forgotten that we have many villages within the Garden City of Mysore. There are several “Koppalus” within Mysore, which even today remain Koppalus. Can you find such an irony in any developed city? People in these Koppalus live in conditions worse than any village. We have snatched away the lands of Kannegowdanakoppalu to build posh localities of Saraswathipuram and Kuvempunagar. Thonachikoppalu farmers have sacrificed their lands for the comforts of T. K. Layout and Gangotri Layout residents.

Similarly, Paduvarahalli, Kumbarakoppalu, Manchegowdanakoppalu and such other Koppalus sacrificed themselves for the birth of Jayalakshmipuram, Gokulam, Vijayanagar and such other posh localities. But they still remain as they were earlier.

It is really a tragedy that none thought that the Koppalus, which innocently contributed to the formation of posh localities and expansion of the city, also should be developed as urban localities. The people who allowed acquisition of their cultivable lands got meagre compensation in cash and some even sites, but lost their regular livelihood. They do not have proper water supply, sanitation and underground drainage. I have seen people in these Koppalus and villages even today digging 4 to 5 ft. deep pit to collect water from their taps while the posh localities blessed by them get water without difficulty.

Should they not be properly rehabilitated? The people there still live in poverty; their children are jobless and uneducated. My top priority would be the development of Koppalus as urban localities with adequate rehabilitation, education and employment to their children. Many villages were acquired and industrial areas were created displacing the people. Has anyone thought of sharing the benefit of the industrial revolution with the people who facilitated it? I will concentrate and fight for their rights if elected.

What will be your plans for the people who have neither a site nor a house in your constituency?
It is another great tragedy which has not been tackled by the elected representatives. People need a decent living and they should need at least a shelter over their head. Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) has miserably failed on this front. To be frank, MUDA has favoured private developers for at least two decades now. I don't want to blame anyone for this sorry state of affairs in MUDA which has the sole commitment to provide shelter for the people.

We do not have lands for Ashraya Scheme. We have sold even gomalas and lakes to the developers. CA sites are being misused. When I was in power as Mayor and as a Political Secretary to the Chief Minister, I strongly resisted and even stalled the attempts to dole out CA sites to vested interests and all and sundry as the city needed them for hospitals, schools and hostels for poor students. We have allowed developers to invest a meagre Rs. 6 lakh and reap the benefits worth Rs. 60 crore. Can you ever imagine? Take it from me.

Okay, how are you going to tackle these problems?
I firmly believe that nothing is impossible if a politician takes a problem to his heart. He is elected by the people to serve them. He could live up to their hopes and aspirations only if he has a political will. There is nothing which can beat the political will. By God's grace, I have that kind of political will and courage which I will display, if given a chance. This is my election promise to the people. Have we been able to build another K.R. Hospital after the Maharajas? Why don't we have a hospital like Jayadeva Cardiac Hospital in Mysore? Why don't we have a trauma centre even in this new millennium? Why have we not been unable to build a college that equals Maharaja's College? Let the people give me an opportunity, I will show what really an honest and a workholic politician can do.

Sir, there are a lot of complaints about prestigious projects like Ring Road and JNNURM?
It is again lack of political will that is responsible. We are still repaying installments towards ADB loans provided for projects like Ring Road and others. JNNURM is another big story. If implemented sincerely the JNNURM will change the face of Mysore entirely. I will leave no stone unturned to bring the benefits of JNNURM to Mysore. Merely dangling the carrot of JNNURM before the people of Mysore, who actually do not know what is happening as everything is under wraps, would not perform miracles.

I will vehemently fight for the implementation of JNNURM as it is the major remedy for all the ills of Mysore. JNNURM has everything to offer for the betterment of Mysore, conservation of heritage, improvement of existing facility, slum clearance, road transport system, infrastructure for education, development of tourism which creates jobs, apart from beautification of Mysore. Just tell me, have we been able to build another park, which will at least resemble the park built during the days of Maharajas?

What about your other priorities?
Employment opportunities to educated youth, training facilities for them. Handicrafts are another major source of income for Mysore. Artisans are at the mercy of handicrafts dealers, who make huge profits but refuse to share it with the artisans. I will develop some system which would make the life of artisans comfortable. We have many avenues to prevent industries from falling sick and also revive sick units. We have several schemes to help the workers of closed units. Many do not know that there is a provision to provide compensation to the family of workers of the sick units who are dead. I came to know about this when Union Minister Shankar Singh Waghela visited Mysore recently.

What are your environmental concerns?
It is a good, question which should be asked to every politician. Everyone talks about social justice. Without protecting environment, no one can achieve social justice. I do not want to boast myself as an environmentalist. I am merely a student of environmental aspects. We will be safe only if Kodagu is safe. First concentrate on the protection of Kodagu environment. If Kodagu is destroyed, there will be no Mysore, Mandya, more importantly Bangalore and even Tamil Nadu. Kodagu is the lifeline of this region. If we in Mysore stop bothering about Kodagu saying that it is another district, our future will be at stake. You may be surprised, even in Kodagu, the source of river Cauvery; there is no drinking water in several places. If Kodagu is not protected and deforestation not stopped, all our talks about development of the region, I have already mentioned above, would be meaningless. We, the politicians, should take serious view of this aspect.

Courtesy: Star of Mysore

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