The software engineer who abandoned his US firm to contest Karnataka elections

He had stayed away from politics despite his father being an active politician. Darshan Puttanaiah, the son of K S Puttanaiah has abandoned his firm in the US and decided to fight the Karnataka assembly election to be held on May 12.

Darshan's father was an MLA from the Melukote constituency in Mandya. He was representing the Karnataka Sarvodaya Party which had originated from the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha. Darshan says that he had no interest in joining politics. He was away from the state for 15 years.

However, it was the death of his father and the pressure from his followers which prompted him to change his decision. He says that his father never forced him to join politics and always told him to take an independent decision. Darshan also adds that he was attracted to the cause of the Raitha Sangha which played an active part in the welfare of the farmers.

Darshan has had a small stint with politics in the past. In the late 1990s, he campaigned for his father. However, in 2002, he left for the US.

Darshan who will contest from Melukote is in with a good chance. The voters of the constituency looked up to his father who passed away in February. Moreover, with the Congress not fielding any candidate as yet from this constituency, it appears to be easy pickings for Darshan.