Former Union Minister and incumbent Chamarajanagar Member of Parliament (MP) V. Sreenivasa Prasad is a veteran politician, whose popularity is not just restricted to the State, but has transcended boundaries to national level. He developed leadership acumen through Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) where he learnt organisational nuances. He entered politics on the back of numerous movements he spearheaded, but never compromised with his ideologies even though he embraced different political parties owing to impelling situations. This distinct quality made him a rare leader who never let down his self-respect.

After coming a full circle, Prasad has decided to call it quits from active politics coinciding with 50-years of his political journey in a grandiose function planned by his fans and followers tomorrow at 11 am at KSOU Convocation Hall in city. Ahead of Golden Jubilee fete, the 77-year-old spoke to Star of Mysore going a trip down memory lane, recollecting his 5-decade-long tryst with public life. Here are the excerpts of the interview.—Ed

By S.B. Devaraj

Star of Mysore (SOM): If you look back on your 50-year long association with politics, what comes to your mind first?

Sreenivasa Prasad: I made a debut in politics by contesting the by-election to Krishnaraja (KR) Assembly Constituency held on Mar. 17, 1974, as an independent candidate. Cut to 2024, I will be  completing 50 years in politics tomorrow (Mar. 17). To make it a momentous occasion, my fans have organised a Golden Jubilee fete. I will take this occasion to express my heartfelt gratitude to the voters who supported me throughout my political life, that was a mix of victories and defeats in 14 elections I faced in these years. I will be announcing my political retirement on the same day.

SOM: Can you recall the moment that triggered your interest in politics?

Prasad: I had developed interest towards politics since my high school days. I had even worked in RSS and its outfits like Jan Sangh, Vidyarthi Parishat and also Vishwa Hindu Parishat (VHP). I had actively worked for Jan Sangh for a decade from 1962 to 1972. I was involved in various tasks like pasting posters and taking part in the hustings, sans any interest to contest elections.

SOM: What drove you towards the electoral arena?

Prasad: The year 1973 witnessed a new development and D. Devaraja Urs was the Chief Minister then. B. Basavalingappa, a prominent dalit leader, was a Municipal Administration Minister in the Cabinet of Urs then. I was deeply influenced by his speeches that was filled with pragmatic issues. He had compared Kannada literature to cattle fodder (Busa) which snowballed into a big controversy sparking protests both in favour and against his views. Basavalingappa had to eventually face the heat that cost him the Ministership  as he was dropped from the Cabinet. The dalits had staged protests and rallies which later came to be known as ‘Busa Chaluvali’ (Busa Movement).

It was during the same time, by-election was announced for Krishnaraja Assembly segment and the voters of Ashokapuram, the locality where I was born and grew up were decisive in the elections. As they were averse to Congress, they persuaded me to take the plunge and fielded me in the by-poll. As majority of chunk of votes in Ashokapuram were cast in my favour, Indian National Congress (INC) that had won the general election from KR in 1972 was pushed to the third slot and Samstha Congress (also known as Congress (O), a split faction of INC) won the election.

SOM: How was your political journey later?

Prasad: Ramakrishna Hegde who was the General Secretary of Samstha Congress then invited me to Hotel Dasaprakash in the heart of the city and felicitated me for the indirect help rendered in the victory of their party’s candidate in KR by-election. He invited me to politics as he was of the opinion that leaders like me with their foothold in movements should be in the Opposition Party. If you join ruling party you will become among hundreds, Hegde had said before inducting me into Samstha Congress.

SOM: Your role model in politics then?

Prasad: The leaders like Ramakrishna Hegde and Veerendra Patil were my role models. Hegde was my political godfather and in the later years, following the merger of Samstha Congress and several other parties, Janata Party was formed in 1977. I contested Lok Sabha elections from Janata Party from Chamarajanagar (SC Reserve) Constituency, but I lost the election. I contested Assembly elections from T. Narasipur from Janata Party again but tasted defeat again. Following the declaration of Emergency, Janata Party launched a movement with some of the top leaders jailed in the melee. For the first time ever in the history of India, a non-Congress Government came to power at the Centre (with Janata Party forming the Government). Indira Gandhi herself had suffered a shocking defeat in the election. Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister and also formed a Ministry of efficient leaders. But owing to differences of opinion, the Government fell and most of the disgruntled leaders joined different parties. On the other hand, Ramakrishna Hegde and Veerendra Patil joined Indira Congress. During the same time Jan Sangh came into horizon with a new name ‘Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’ in 1979.

SOM: Your first electoral win?

Prasad: The undivided Mysore district (now Mysuru) also witnessed a political development, with a split among Indira Gandhi and Devaraja Urs, who were popular as two faces of the same coin. There were none to accede to the words of Indira Gandhi, leading to the rise of Congress (I) Party and R. Gundurao was made the party Convener. Following the insistence of Rao who had personally invited me to join Congress (I), I had to switch side. Indira Gandhi had also tendered her apology for imposing Emergency in the country, by then. I contested the Parliamentary elections from Chamarajanagar and M. Rajashekara Murty from Mysuru Lok Sabha Constituency and both scored a pyrrhic victory. I constantly won four subsequent elections from the same Chamarajanagar seat later.

SOM: The situations that made you Union Minister?

Prasad: Due to vested interests, I was denied ticket for 1996 Parliamentary polls. I didn’t lose heart and contested as an independent. As a result of which, Congress which was continuously winning the election had to suffer a defeat and Janata Dal candidate emerged as a winner. However, in the following elections held in 1998 I was given Congress ticket, but I had to taste defeat again. I decided to sever my ties with Congress and fight from outside. Ramakrishna Hegde who had been expelled from Janata Dal had floated Lok Shakti Party and sought my cooperation for his fledgling party. I instantly agreed and Lok Shakti and other like minded parties came together to form Janata Dal (United). I contested the elections in 1999 under JD(U) and registered a victory, a fifth in my political career. A bloc of 26 parties had aligned with National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and George Fernandes was its Convener. Atal Behari Vajapayee was chosen as NDA’s Prime Ministerial candidate. It was decided to work together as per the decision of NDA, but with a rider not to rake up the issue of Article 370 granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir and Ram Janmabhoomi issue and not to implement Common Civil Code. JD(U) had won more MP seats in Bihar and three in Karnataka. However, I was inducted into the Cabinet as a Union Minister of State, representing Karnataka.

SOM: What led to joining JD(S) and your experiences there?

Prasad: H.D. Deve Gowda personally invited me to join JD(S) to strengthen the regional party. Siddaramaiah was the JD(S) State President and for the first time JD(S) candidate Kagalavadi Shivanna was elected to Lok Sabha from Chamarajanagar. With no absolute majority for any political party in the State, Dharam Singh became the Chief Minister in Congress-JD(S) Coalition Government and Siddaramaiah, the Deputy Chief Minister holding Finance portfolio. After sometime, differences of opinion cropped up among Deve Gowda and Siddaramaiah and the latter was even expelled from the party. Siddaramaiah organised AHINDA (Kannada acronym for Minorities, Backward Classes and Dalits) Convention and I myself inaugurated the Convention held at Basavakalyan. Even though I was with JD(S), I had kick-started AHINDA Convention. Siddaramaiah later joined Congress in the presence of Sonia Gandhi.

[To be continued tomorrow]