Mysuru: Putting an end to the controversy surrounding the proposal to rename Princess Road (KRS Road) as ‘Siddaramaiah Arogya Marga’ in Mysuru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has firmly clarified that he never sought to have any road named after him. He also stressed that if KRS Road already has an established name, it should not be altered.

Addressing the media at Mysore Airport during a private visit to the city last evening, the CM broke his silence on the contentious proposal to rename the stretch of Princess Road from Vontikoppal Sri Lakshmi Venkataramanaswamy Temple to Royal Inn Junction in his honour.

“I have never asked for any road to be named after me. I have been in politics for 45 years and I have never sought such recognition. When Mysore University offered to confer an Honorary Doctorate upon me, I declined, saying I am not worthy of it. If a road already has a name, it should remain unchanged,” the CM stated emphatically.

CM Siddaramaiah also responded to assertions by local Congress leaders that the stretch of road from Sri Lakshmi Venkataramanaswamy Temple to the Ring Road Junction is unnamed. “I am unaware of such details. I never requested for the road to bear my name, and no one has approached me regarding this,” he clarified.

The proposal, initiated by Chamaraja MLA K. Harishgowda and backed by Congress leaders and activists in Mysuru, has sparked a political and public debate. Harishgowda claimed that only the stretch from Dasappa Circle to Venkataramanaswamy Temple is officially called Princess Road and that the stretch from the Temple to the Royal Inn Junction can therefore be renamed as ‘Siddaramaiah Arogya Marga.’

However, this assertion has faced stiff opposition. Critics, including Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Wadiyar and BJP activists, argue that the road already bears the names Princess Road and KRS Road.

Furthermore, they highlight that the road is named in honour of Princess Krishnajammanni, with the PKTB and CD Hospital (Princess Krishnajammanni Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases Hospital) located along this stretch, further underscoring its historic name.

Political slugfest

The renaming proposal has turned into a flashpoint between the BJP and Congress, reflecting larger political dynamics in the State. MLA Harishgowda defended the renaming because the stretch is home to several hospitals, many of which were sanctioned during Siddaramaiah’s first term as Chief Minister.

However, this rationale has not quelled the opposition, with political rivals and heritage advocates asserting the importance of preserving the existing name as a tribute to Mysuru’s history and royalty.