Kumar Bangarappa has acted in
Kannada and Telugu films in the late 80s and 90s and is known as an action hero. Kumar won from Sorab in 1996, 1999 and 2004 and was a minister in the SM
Krishna government. Kumar joined
BJP in March last year, his second stint after a brief sojourn in 2004.
What’s your take on contesting against your brother?
I’ve been in politics since 1996 after my father moved away from here and told me this is my constituency and I should nurture it. I’ve learned from my father that elections should be fought on issues and one should not make it personal. Political fights should be on ideological lines, not against individuals. I intend on practising gentleman politics.
How will you counter the ‘Bangarappa’ factor?
Madhu has ruined the constituency by misusing our father’s name and government policies. He practises vengeance politics and continues to remain in the past. There’s also a major allegation against him that he sold bagair hukum land of farmers to some agents. As many as 25,000 applications of farmers seeking rights to bagair hukum land have been rejected as the land was sold.
Has the party given you the ticket for being a Bangarappa?
It’s a combination of the name and my capabilities. There’s a lot of goodwill in BJP for the Bangarappa name, as the party grew from 39 seats to 79 seats in the state under my father’s stewardship. Besides, I have experience in politics and administration.
