BJP leaders recommend Tejaswini Ananth Kumar for Bengaluru South

Bengaluru, Mar 12: Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, wife of late Union Minister H N Ananth Kumar, has been recommended by BJP leaders as candidate from Bangalore South parliamentary constituency.

Former deputy chief minister R Ashok, Bangalore BJP leaders and corporators met with Tejaswini Ananth Kumar at her residence to discuss her candidacy in the Lok Sabha elections. Speaking to reporters, former deputy chief minister R Ashoka said that all the party members recommended Tejaswini Ananth Kumar's name as a candidate from Bangalore South.

Ananth Kumar represented the constituency in the Lok Sabha for six consecutive terms since 1996. The untimely death of Ananth Kumar came as a major blow to the BJP. Ananth Kumar had held on the Bangalore South parliamentary seat for as long as one could remember. In his death, the BJP now has a big void to fill.

The big question was who would contest the Bangalore South seat in 2019. The BJP held a preliminary meeting to plan its strategy for 2019 and the name of Ananth Kumar's wife, Tejaswini was proposed by Basavanagudi MLA, Ravi Subramanya.

At present, Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency comprises eight Legislative Assembly segments. Prior to the delimitation, Brahmin votes were the highest across the eight Assembly segments, tilting the contest in favor of Ananth Kumar. The two dominant communities - the Vokkaligas and the Brahmins, account nearly 40 per cent of the electorate. They have traditionally influenced the poll outcome.

This General Category constituency witnessed a high-profile battle in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Infosys co-founder, Nandan Nilekani fought the elections on a Congress ticket against five-time MP, Ananth Kumar who has represented the seat in the Parliament since 1996. Ananth Kumar defeated his closest rival Nandan Nilekani by 228575 votes. Since 1996 Congress hasn't fielded the same candidate against Ananth Kumar.