Wodeyar: Royal nominee

Mysore, April 25: There’s an element of royalty in every step in this campaign.

The spectacle on the streets is a throwback to the days of the maharajas as Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, the portly scion of the erstwhile royal family of Mysore and the Congress candidate, does the rounds of his constituency.

“With God’s blessings, I will make it to the Lok Sabha. I have initiated a number of projects and so people are with me,” said Wodeyar, now on the verge of a fifth term.

Every morning, seven elephants line up in the palace courtyard as he sets out for campaigning. They raise their trunks in salute as he leaves the palace to offer prayers to the family deity.

Like foot soldiers, Congress workers march ahead holding party flags and announce Wodeyar’s arrival in each Assembly segment. His new Ford Endeavor and a fleet of vehicles with attendants and personal security guards trained in unarmed combat follow suit.

The royal insignia is conspicuous on his chauffeur’s uniform as well as that of the security personnel in navy blue suits and maroon tie. His attendants rush in with a folding chair or a spare pair of footwear whenever he steps out to offer puja or pauses to drink badam milk or coffee served in silver tumblers.

Everywhere there are women waiting to perform arti while the men stand with garlands. At some places, people touch the ground he has walked on and seek his blessings. “People are upset that he has been walking in some places. They don’t want the maharaja to walk on the streets and ask for votes; they have pledged to support him. He will win with a big margin,” said his chauffeur M. Suresh.

Going by the grandeur, one would have thought he could do without Bollywood glamour. But Wodeyar is taking no chances. He has roped in star campaigners, including actors Namrata Shirodkar and Varsha Usgaonkar and comedian Asrani, besides models from Bangalore.

Chief minister of Maharashtra Sushil Kumar Shinde and his Karnataka counterpart, S.M. Krishna, too, addressed a rally before the curtains came down on the campaign.

A doubtful starter, Wodeyar has shed 25 kg and overcome an ailment in his left foot ahead of the polls. “I was persuaded by party workers and leaders to remain in the contest…. I have been walking for long stretches inside the palace every morning to stay fit. I walk long distances during campaigning,” he said.

An old hand at electoral politics, Wodeyar, who switched from the BJP to the Congress in 1996, is aware of his constituency’s caste composition. “My ancestors believed in equal opportunities for people of all castes so I am sure that every family has benefited in one way or the other.”