Mysuru Ministers share their views

G.T. Devegowda: Sixty-eight-year-old G.T. Devegowda, who grabbed the attention of the State by defeating former CM Siddharamaiah from Chamundeshwari in Mysuru, has landed in the Kumaraswamy Ministry. The Vokkaliga leader emerged as a giant killer.

Fondly called GTD in political circles, his is a second stint in the Ministry as he was the Cooperation Minister in the Cabinet of Kumaraswamy who headed a JD(S)-BJP coalition government in 2006. He is a four-time MLA (as he had won twice from Hunsur earlier) and was in the race for a Ministerial berth ever since Congress announced its support to JD(S) form the government.

GTD has the experience of competing in the APMC and Cooperative elections. He was elected as Mysuru ZP member twice and also served as ZP President. Though he switched over to BJP when B.S. Yeddyurappa became the CM, he returned to the JD(S).

Speaking to SOM, G.T. Devegowda said that he has been honoured by CM Kumaraswamy for his electoral victories and the CM had kept in mind the service he had rendered to the people under different capacities. “Public service is important for me and I will do justice as a Minister and will efficiently manage any portfolio assigned to me,” he said.

S.R. Mahesh

K.R. Nagar MLA S.R. Mahesh, who won by a wafer-thin margin of 1,779 votes in the recent election, is a hat-trick MLA and has made it to the Ministry. Though his political career took shape with the BJP, he switched over to the JD(S) and won the elections in 2008. Mahesh is a close confidante of CM Kumaraswamy. 52-year-old Mahesh is a Vokkaliga, with an educational qualification of B.Sc. Though he was defeated in 2004 from the BJP, he later joined JD(S) and went on to win the constituency thrice, in the year 2008, 2013 and 2018. He also served as  Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Legislature.

Mahesh told SOM that he has become a Minister for the first time and considers himself as lucky. “I thank CM Kumaraswamy for recognising my 30-year service in public life. I will serve in whatever portfolio assigned to me and fulfil the wishes of the people of my constituency, people of the State and JD(S), my party,” he said.

C.S. Puttaraju

Fifty-four-year-old C.S. Puttaraju, who has won the Melukote Assembly constituency in Mandya district, is an influential Vokkaliga leader. A three-time MLA, he has studied PUC.

He made a comeback to State politics as he was the MP of Mandya Lok Sabha from 2014. He fought against the ‘sympathy wave’ following the death of Melukote MLA and farmer leader K.S. Puttannaiah and now has made it to the Ministry.

Puttaraju won in 2004, 2008, and 2018 elections. He was defeated in the 1999 and 2013 elections. He also suffered a defeat against actor-turned-politician Ramya during the Mandya Lok Sabha by-elections in 2013. However, he defeated Ramya in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Elated on being appointed as a Cabinet Minister, Puttaraju told SOM that he will strive for development of State and its people. “I will perform in such a way that I will bring credit to my party and my voters. I will strengthen the hands of CM Kumaraswamy in providing a pro-people administration,” he said.

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