Autorickshaw driver is now Tumakuru mayor

TUMAKURU: Tumakuru City Corporation set a record of sorts on Saturday when it elected a former autorickshaw driver as its mayor. Years ago, Sudhishwara dropped out of college while pursuing a BCom degree and took up rickshaw driving to eke out a living. Today, he is the first citizen of the city.
Interestingly, the 51-year-old two-time corporator waved out to his supporters from the sunroof of a car after the announcement was made. His mode of transport today is a lot different from what it was during the 80s, when he drove a passenger autorickshaw.

Hailing from an Dalit family that resided in Jayapura Colony, which was encircled by areas dominated by Muslims, Sudhishwara, it is said, used to be in the forefront whenever there was a Hindu-Muslim conflict in the area. That was his foray into politics. It was in 1996 that then minister, late Lakshminarasimhaiah, a backward Sadaru community leader, fielded him as a Janata Party candidate for the seat of a councilor from the colony. He won hands down riding on the popularity of his grandfather, late Shilpi Chikkasiddaiah, who had contested the erstwhile Guluru MLA seat, albeit unsuccessfully.

In 1994, he supported then rebel Congress candidate K N Rajanna, who is now the MLA of Madhugiri, which resulted in the defeat of the party’s official candidate S Shafi Ahmed. Former minister Sogadu Shivanna of the BJP benefited from the discord, as he went on to win the seat from Shafi Ahmed thrice and once, in 2008, against the latter’s son-in-law, incumbent Congress MLA Dr Rafeek Ahmed.

As a mark of gratitude, Sogadu Shivanna did not field a BJP candidate against him in his ward even though Sudhishwara contested on a JD(S) ticket. When Rafeek won in 2013, Sudhishwara joined the Congress and began criticising the MLA. With Assembly polls around the corner, Rafeek chose Sudhishwara for the post of mayor, probably to keep Dal in good books.