Nikhil made head of JD(S) youth wing as grandpa keeps plum posts within family

BENGALURU: Less than a couple of months after the Lok Sabha debacle, JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda brushed aside criticism that he favours and promotes only family members, appointing grandson and chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil as president of the party’s state youth wing.
Sakleshpur MLA, HK Kumaraswamy, was appointed state president, while former MLA Madhu Bangarappa was named working president on Thursday. Kumaraswamy replaced AH Vishwanath, who stepped down citing poor health, while Nikhil replaced Bangarappa.
Nikhil’s elevation expectedly set off ripples, but it came from an unexpected quarter — from another Gowda grandson. Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna claimed he was unaware of his cousin’s new assignment.
“I know only about the appointments of Kumaraswamy and Madhu,” Prajwal told reporters in New Delhi when his reaction was sought on his cousin’s new role. “I have no information on Nikhil’s elevation as head of party’s state unit.” An hour later, though, Prajwal was singing another tune, insisting in a statement that he wasn’t unhappy with Nikhil’s appointment.
At a simple function at the party’s office in Bengaluru, Vishwanath handed over party flags to Kumaraswamy, Madhu and Nikhil in the presence of Gowda, MLC Basavaraj Horatti and other senior leaders of the party.
The Sakleshpur legislator, a five-time MLA, is a scheduled caste and has been a loyal JD(S) worker. “Kumaraswamy’s immense political experience will help the party,” Gowda said. Gowda also hoped Madhu and Nikhil would together to make the party appealing to youth.
Nikhil claimed his elevation to the post of youth president was unexpected, but vowed to strengthen the party and meet expectations.
“I am speechless,” he said, soon after being installed. “I got a telephone call at 11am informing me I am being made youth wing president and Doddavaru (Gowda) himself came on the line and asked me come to the office.”
Admitting the responsibility will not be easy, Nikhil said he has been listening to his grandfather talk about his political experience for “four to five hours a day” over the past 50 days. “This will help me,” he said. “I had told party bosses to give the post to someone outside the family [but they reposed faith in me].”
As for his defeat from Mandya constituency in the Lok Sabha elections, Nikhil said: “Mandya will be my janma and karma bhoomi in the coming days.” On whether he would continue his work in films, Nikhil merely said cinema was his passion.
Other new office bearers of the party include: MN Nabi, K Gopalaiah, R Manjunath (vice-presidents), MN Noor Ahmed (working president, youth wing), Sharanagouda Kandakur (secretary-general, youth wing), Narasimhamurthy (vice-president, youth wing), CT Sureshbabu (president, state booth committee) and Nasir Bagwan (president, party’s minority cell).