Mysuru Royals Return To Electoral Politics After 20 Years — A Ground Report

A few months ago, during the Winter Session of the Parliament, a staffer at a parliamentarian's bungalow on Akbar Road called this writer to inform how 'simple' an unexpected guest was being.

"He woke up at six in the morning despite sleeping late last night, went for a run and served himself some poha without complaining about anything. Can you believe it, Sharan?", he said. The staffer was referring to the Maharaja of Mysore, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, who was visiting New Delhi for some work.

"We all woke up a bit late that morning since we were so tired. I felt slightly embarrassed to find him up so early and waiting for us in the waiting area", he added, in awe of the Maharaja.

In just a few months, Wadiyar would go on to replace outgoing MP Pratap Simha as the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In the social circles of Bengaluru, the current Maharaja of Mysore already has a name as being a people-friendly Maharaja who is just a phone call away.

Even behind the scenes, he has remained a bit shy of politics but never hesitated to consider pursuing it someday. The Mysuru royal family is fondly remembered among the people in the Old Mysore Region for their contributions for public welfare.

Despite all this, it is not going to be a cakewalk for Wadiyar, since his family has faced political loss in the past.

On The Ground In Mysuru

In most constituencies, candidates often like to start their day a bit late and end it later in the night. In Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar's case, it is different. He likes to begin his day early and prefers respecting people's time.

At seven in the morning, on April 23, Wadiyar set out for a visit to People for Animals (PFA) — an animal care centre located on the outskirts of the city. He was accompanied by his wife, the Queen of Mysore. Trishikha Wadiyar is reportedly passionate about animal welfare and spends time with organisations that are committed to promoting their wellbeing.

At 7:30 AM, Yaduveer Wadiyar was scheduled to begin his canvassing from Gayatripuram's Chamundeshwari temple. He was on time, and his supporters had gathered quite enthusiastically, despite it being early for a sleepy town like Mysuru.

Surrounded by the royal family staff and members of the local BJP unit, Wadiyar visits almost every single temple in the nook and corner of every street in the Gayatripuram vicinity.

The Mysuru-Kodagu parliamentary constituency consists of eight assembly segments — Krishnaraja, Chamaraja, Narasimharaja, Virajpete, Madikeri, Chamundeshwari, Periyapattana, Hunasuru.

Among these, just one assembly segment has the presence of a BJP MLA — Krishnaraja. Since Hunasuru and Chamundeshwari have the presence of JD(S) MLAs, the alliance can catch a breath despite all the difficulties.

In the case of a national election, patterns do change, but with the guarantee schemes launched by the state government and Siddaramaiah himself campaigning to get the AHINDA votes (Alpasankhyataru, Hindulidavaru, Dalitaru), it is tricky.

But the team is confident since the JD(S) workers, BJP workers and the whole city of Mysuru are expected to give Wadiyar a huge lead to begin with. And with Kodagu being a BJP stronghold, Wadiyar starts as a favourite.

'Named After Gayatri Devi'

In almost every ward the Maharaja goes to, he is welcomed with a shower of flower petals — marigold, jasmine, rose and so on.

Vijay Kadam, a restauranteur in the city, lives in Bengaluru but has been travelling every day to campaign for Wadiyar.

"It is a matter of pride for us. If the Maharaja himself is contesting, there is no talk of caste, religion or even the party. The whole city of Mysuru is loyal to the royal family, and is grateful for their contributions", he says. Vijay takes the morning train, arrives in Mysuru, and then coordinates with Wadiyar's team members to find out the exact location they are canvassing at.

"Some parties are trying to play caste cards, but it will not work here", he says.

Swarajya observed that the Maharaja was welcomed grandly in all the colonies he paid a visit to. Men, women and children alike, were up early in the morning, anxiously waiting to welcome him. On his arrival, he would be presented with the Mysuru peta, a garland and a shower of flower petals from the rooftops.

Many women said they have been praying to Devi Chamundi for his victory.

"This area has been named after Gayatri Devi. Almost every place has something or the other which is a contribution of the royal family. We don't have to explain it to you, you know what to do", a pracharak onboard the campaign vehicle tells the crowd.

"Today, people in Bengaluru have no water to drink. If the people of Mysuru have no problems with this, it is because of the several irrigation projects initiated by the royal family — be it the Vani Vilasapura dam in Chitradurga or the Gayatri Sagara", he says.

The campaign vehicle moves from Solugara Beedhi to Ambedkar Colony in Khyathamaranahalli and then towards Raghavendra Nagar and Siddhartha Nagar. At every stop, the Maharaja speaks only a few words and requests his supporters to vote for the BJP.

Unlike most campaigns where the candidate receives a snarky comment in return, people are happy to see the Maharaja arrive. They smile and nod when they are asked to vote for the Maharaja.

Mysuru As A Cyber Hub

A member of the communications team of Yaduveer Wadiyar, who did not want to be named, said that they are working on a vision to present Mysuru as a cyber-security hub of India, since it is home to many techies and IT giants like Infosys.

"Many talented engineers look for jobs outside the country, if their potential is utilised in Mysuru, with the already-existing tech infrastructure, we can make the city a hub for cybersecurity", Kavitha* says.

Their team is also working hard to project an image of Wadiyar's candidature complimenting the golden age under the erstwhile dynasty when they were in power for several centuries.

"With PM Narendra Modi's vision for Viksit Bharat, the work that will be done here will be supplementing the work of many predecessors here", she says. Subjects like irrigation, education, concerns of many farmers and setting up more industries to create employment opportunities for the locals is a priority for Wadiyar.

Not just that, with the Wadiyars seen as a silent powerhouse that accommodates every community, the BJP is hoping to reach out to a section of voters that has traditionally sided with the Congress or other parties in the region. This includes outreach to Muslims, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes like the Hakki Pikki tribe which has been displaced of late.

"The Maharajas of Mysore also introduced the first signs of democracy in India, even before India became independent. Women gained their voting rights well in advance and their participation in industry has been historically encouraged by the Wadiyars, and will continue with Yaduveer's tenure as the future MP of Mysuru and Kodagu", she adds.

She also says that Muslims have always had a place for the Wadiyars in their hearts, and with Yaduveer's candidature, they may see a section of votes going to the BJP.

Return To Politics After Two Decades

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, Maharaja of the erstwhile Mysuru Kingdom, is contesting a Lok Sabha election for the first time at the age of 32. His wife, Maharani Trishikha Kumari Wadiyar, silently manages his campaign behind the scenes. The Mysuru royal family is returning to the political scene nearly two decades after Maharaja Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, a four-time Member of Parliament, lost the election in 2004.

Since Srikantadatta Wadiyar died childless, Yaduveer was adopted by Pramoda Devi and appointed the royal heir in 2015. Yaduveer is the grandson of Gayatri Devi, who is the eldest daughter of the last Maharaja of Mysuru Sri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar. Her brother is Srikantadatta Wadiyar. Yaduveer went by the name of Yaduveer Gopal Raj Urs and was later rechristened.

Srikantadatta Wadiyar contested the elections as a Congress candidate in 1984 for the first time, in the aftermath of the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He won the election then and in 1989. But in 1991, once he switched to the BJP, he lost the polls and returned to the Congress subsequently to win two more elections in 1996 and 1999.

In 2004, he ended up third on the board behind the BJP and JD(S) candidate — a loss that still bothers the family. Pramoda Devi was approached by several parties but declined to join any of them. Instead, she remained focused on fighting the legal battles related to different properties that are under litigation currently.

Yaduveer Wadiyar is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts in the United States of America. His wife, Trishikha Kumari Wadiyar, belongs to the Dungarpur royal family of Rajasthan. Her father Harshavarshan Singh had served a term as the BJP's Rajya Sabha MP.

Why The Mysuru Royal Family Is Popular

The Royal Family of Mysore, under the leadership of the Wadiyar dynasty, left an indelible mark on the Old Mysore Region, encompassing Mysuru and Bengaluru, through their dedication to development across various spheres.

At the forefront of their contributions were transformative infrastructure projects that reshaped the region's landscape and propelled economic growth. Notably, the Wadiyars initiated ambitious irrigation schemes, exemplified by the construction of the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam across the Kaveri River.

Completed in 1932 under the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, this engineering marvel not only provided vital irrigation water for agricultural lands but also facilitated hydroelectric power generation, laying the foundation for industrialisation in the region. Mysore University, founded in 1916 by Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, emerged as a centre of excellence, nurturing generations of scholars and contributing significantly to academic research and innovation.

Furthermore, the Wadiyars' philanthropic endeavours extended to the healthcare sector, with the establishment of hospitals and healthcare centres aimed at providing quality medical services to the populace. The JSS Hospital in Mysuru, founded by Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar is an example.

In addition to their contributions to infrastructure and social welfare, the Royal Family of Mysore played a pivotal role in fostering economic development through the establishment of public sector enterprises. The Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC), founded in 1948 by Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, aimed to revitalise the silk industry in the region, providing employment opportunities and promoting silk weaving.

Beyond their regional endeavours, the Wadiyars also made significant contributions to Indian politics post-independence. Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, the last ruling Maharaja of Mysore, played an active role in the democratic process, serving as the Governor of Mysore State and later as a member of the Rajya Sabha, advocating for the interests of the region at the national level.

Yaduveer Wadiyar's Vision For Mysuru-Kodagu

On board his campaign vehicle, this writer managed to snatch a few minutes from Wadiyar's busy schedule. This is the transcript of the conversation with him:

Sharan: How is your experience canvassing?

Wadiyar: Very enriching experience. We got to know the several experiences people face here. We know what needs urgent fixing and what needs long-term solutions. We also realised that our vision fits into the entire development of the region and the overall vision of the Prime Minister will also influence the development here.

Always happy to have the best wishes of everyone around us, the society in general. It gives us a big boost for the job ahead.

Sharan: The Mysuru royal family always knew the problems of the region and addressed them with pertinent solutions. What are the current problems the region faces and what are your solutions?

Wadiyar: If I had to round out three issues, tourism is on top of the list. Mysuru and Kodagu have tremendous potential for tourism, and needs to be tapped into further to get a bigger economic drive here. The other issue has been cleanliness. Overall, I think, across the country, it is a big issue. Even in Mysuru, cleanliness has been a concern for the people. It was always known as one of the cleanest cities, and we'd like to have it that way in the future as well.

Lastly, we want to strength the air connectivity by upgrading the airport to the aspired standards and increasing the number of flights to various cities across the country.

Sharan: What message do you have for your voters?

Wadiyar: Well, I would urge everyone to come out and vote in large numbers. The true aspirations of everyone in the society needs to be echoed via your vote. For ensuring our tradition and heritage is kept alive, and to progress on securing and developing this country, it is essential that people cast their vote to the BJP.