What next after HN Ananth Kumar’s death? This was a question ignored by the leaders of the BJP and the Opposition, who were grieving the death of a politician respected across the party lines. But after he was laid to rest on Tuesday, the political parties are finally getting around to address the elephant in the room.
Ananth Kumar was a six-time parliamentarian from Bengaluru south, a seat the Opposition couldn’t win even after fielding famous entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani in 2014. For the Karnataka BJP, Ananth Kumar was an effective link between the party’s central and state unit, and most importantly, he had enormous influence and was a lobbyist for Karnataka’s interest in New Delhi – a job for which he went beyond party lines.
So, there are three big questions for which the parties will be looking for answers in the coming days. Will fortunes change in Bengaluru south constituency? Who will step into Ananth Kumar’s role as the buffer between New Delhi and Bengaluru, for the BJP? And who will champion Karnataka’s cause at the nation’s capital?