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Bose: Will make Chamarajanagar on par with Mysuru

NT Correspondent

Chamarajanagar: The twin districts of Mysuru- Chamarajanagar have a lot of tourist potential but compared to Mysuru which attracts tourists from across the globe and has seen development in the tourism, industry, hospitality and information technology sectors, Chamarajanagar, which was carved out from Mysuru district in 1997, still remains backward.

Chamarajanagar comprises four assembly segments of Mysuru district - Varuna, Nanjangud, T Narasipura and H D Kote and Hanur, Kollegal, Chamarajnagar and Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar district.

In an interview with News Trail, the Congress candidate for Chamarajanagar Sunil Bose said he would make honest efforts to strengthen tourism in the border district which has tourist sites like Bandipur, BR Hills, MM Hills, Himavad Gopalaswamy temple, waterfalls like Hoggenakkal and Bharachukki.

He is the son of Mysuru District incharge Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa and is fighting BJP candidate S Balaraj who is also in the fray for the first time. Here are excerpts.

NT: Since the day the ticket was allotted to you, you have been traversing across the constituency. How is the response of voters?

Sunil Bose: I have been receiving good response from the voters of all ages particularly women voters as they have benefitted from the poll guarantees schemes.

It is helping them to save money and cope with inflation. Congress won seven of the eight assembly segments in last year's assembly polls including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself from Varuna.

We secured nearly 60 per cent votes in the assembly segments and this makes me confidant of victory. Moreover, people are upset with PM Narendra Modi's functioning.

NT: How has your experience so far been?

Sunil Bose: Even though I am contesting the elections for the first time, I was a strong aspirant for the Nanjangud bypoll.

I also worked in the victory of my father Dr H C Mahadevappa in T Narasipura, for CM Siddaramaiah in Varuna and Darshan Dhruvanarayana in Nanjangud.

We worked together and I have been able to nurture my political instincts while interacting with party workers.

NT: What do you have to say about the BJP and BSP candidates contesting against you?

Sunil Bose: I don’t seen any tough fight from the BJP candidate and former Kollegal MLA Balaraj who is banking on the support of BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which has influence in a few pockets, has fielded its former state unit chief Krishnamurthy. I am seeking votes on the basis of the ideology of my party and the schemes it has implemented.

We are also highlighting the failures of the NDA government at the Centre. After former BSP MLA N Mahesh joined the BJP, the BSP has become weak

NT: Though Congress has won several times in Chamarajanagar, BJP candidate V Sreenivasprasad was elected from this constituency in 2019.

Sunil Bose: Last time, the BJP fielded Dalit strongman V Sreenivasprasad, who was with the Congress for several years. Now he has retired from active politics and has remained neutral.

The BSP which won nearly 87,000 in the 2019 polls, won't be able to repeat its performance this time because of desertions.

NT: BJP leaders launched 'Go back Sunil Bose' poster campaign when you filed your nomination. They also refered to your marital status...

Sunil Bose: The court has given me a clean chit. Unable to tolerate the prospects of my victory, they are involved in such propaganda, but it will not work.

NT: What are your priorities if you are elected to parliament?

Sunil Bose: I have said I will work for promotion of tourism, bring more industries, improve infrastructure, rail connectivity, and strive hard to develop this backward district to make it on par with neighbouring Mysuru.