This Cardiologist, Praised By Obama, Is Fighting Freebies With Free Surgeries: Ground Report From Bangalore Rural

In Kunigal, under the protective shadow of peepal trees, flyovers and underpasses, a recently retired cardiologist is promising better days to the good folks of the countryside. Dr C N Manjunath was announced as the candidate for Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency on 17 March, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance.

He is taking on D K Suresh, the incumbent parliamentarian representing the constituency in the Lok Sabha. Suresh is from the Indian National Congress and happens to be the brother of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. Meanwhile, Manjunath is former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's son-in-law.

Bangalore Rural constituency was carved out of the erstwhile Kanakapura Lok Sabha constituency in 2008 and went to polls for the first time in 2009. In the first election, former JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy became its MP. Suresh went on to win in the 2013 by-election, 2014 and 2019 polls.

Dr C N Manjunath - A Profile

Cholenahalli Nanjappa Manjunath, born in 1957, has previously served as the director of the government-run Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research. In his stint, the institute increased its bed strength of exclusive cardiac care beds from 330 to 1,600 beds. Supporters say his motto at Jayadeva was "treatment first, payment next."

Deserving patients not only from India but across the world come to Jayadeva to receive free-of-cost or affordable treatment for serious cardiac issues. Apart from raising a fund for patients from the poor sections of society, Manjunath was also successful in establishing a primary health centre in Cholenahalli — his native village in Hassan — which still operates to this day.

Lakhs of patients who could not have otherwise been able to afford specialised treatment have become beneficiaries of Dr Manjunath's efforts. Through Jayadeva, he says, he intended to show that a government-run hospital can function like a corporate hospital.

This model of high-quality medical services at an affordable cost has been appreciated by many institutes of international repute like the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, London School of Economics and Yale University.

Since then, Dr C N Manjunath has come to be known as the 'poor man's doctor' and was even applauded by former US President, Barack Obama.

In 2007, the Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour — the prestigious Padma Shri — for his contribution to Indian medicine. In 2020, he inaugurated the 410th edition of Mysuru Dasara, considered the state festival in Karnataka, as a mark of honour for COVID-19 warriors who fought against the pandemic.

Manjunath is married to the daughter of former PM H D Deve Gowda and lives in Bengaluru. In 2024, as he retired from the position of the director at Jayadeva, he was approached by the BJP and announced as a candidate for Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency in mid-March.

Earlier this week, Swarajya caught up with the doctor as he set out to canvass for votes in the constituency.

In Koppa Circle, we arrive at the bus stop adjacent to the Bengaluru - Hassan highway where Dr Manjunath is addressing the gathered crowd. At least a dozen cars travel together as a convoy and bandwagons his Innova.

Once he arrives at a planned stop, he gets down and then hops onto the open-air jeep that doubles up as the makeshift platform for him to address the voters. It is an unusually hot afternoon for Bengaluru's standards, yet people patiently await his arrival.

At every stop, his associates get the mic first. They warm up the crowd for him with witty one-liners against the rival candidate, while the gathered party workers cheer and hoot in response.

"They've encroached on your lands, usurped the water that was rightfully with the region and diverted it to other districts. Today, whoever raises their voice are being targeted. There is a systematic persecution of political workers in this region. Do you see yourself getting arrested next?" the man with the microphone asks the crowd.

"No," the crowd responds together, waving both their fives.

"From having to perform a Ganga pooja to stop rains from flooding our homes, we are down to zero water. Ee baragala bandiro karana ellarigu gottu," he says. Meaning, "we all know the reason behind the drought in Karnataka". Critics of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah blame him for drought since his tenures notoriously coincide with periods of no rain/less rain in the state.

"Deve Gowda avaru gave 3 TMC water to this region, but the Congress has diverted Kunigal's water to Nagamangala and other areas where they are in power. 950 crore rupees was allotted for irrigation and drinking water purposes, what happened to that money? You need to be smart and ask yourself questions. If you are scared to ask them questions fearing consequences, at least ask these questions in your mind," he says.

"Then decide who you need to vote for."

Fighting Freebies, Money, Muscle Power

As a part of the roadshow, a 'TP' — tour plan — is prepared days in advance with prior permission from the police and other relevant authorities. On April 16, Tuesday, Dr Manjunath's roadshow was in different areas of Kunigal — a Congress stronghold similar to Kanakapura, Channapattana and Ramanagara.

The mic was passed on to another associate, who brings up the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and reminds the people that the relief of Rs 6,000 is being given by the central government and the state government is doing nothing to help their cause.

"CM Siddaramaiah has promised you free rice, but did he tell you that the rice you all are getting is given by the Modi government and not the state? This is how they are deceiving you," he says, asking the women voters to demand more accountability from Congress.

D K Suresh is the richest candidate in the field this time and is estimated to be worth Rs 593.04 crore. He has resources at his disposal, and has been distributing cookers, sarees and alcohol to voters, Manjunath's aides allege.

They even make an appeal to the voters to "treat your vote like you treat your daughter, wife or mother." They then ask if you can sell your female member of the family for money, and the crowd angrily responds "no".

Further, the pracharaks around Manjunath remind the BJP-JD(S) workers that cases against them will increase if D K Suresh comes back to power. That he needs to be stopped, and an educated 'ajatashatru' like Manjunath needs to be elected instead of him.

"That cooker that you take as a bribe may blast in your face one day. Have you not heard about the person who got severely injured because of Congress cookers?" he adds. He also says that the former candidates from the constituency are with Dr C N Manjunath.

'As a Muslim man, I request you...'

The JD(S) karyakartas, few of them, were initially hesitant to sport the BJP shawl, but eventually embraced it. From what Swarajya saw, there was coordinated campaigning by both the groups, and they have demarcated assignments based on the region, demographics and the nature of the work given to them.

JD(S) workers are motivated because they have been told to work hard to get an important family member of the Gowda family elected. In every public announcement, the local leaders are saying that Manjunath's victory should be certain, because, like Kumaraswamy, even he is going to become a minister should he get elected.

"Arogya sachinvaragtare Manjunath doctru," he says.

Beginning at nine in the morning, the roadshow went on till nine in the night — nearly one stop every two or three kilometres. From Yediyur, Koppa, the convoy proceeded towards Markonahalli and Amruturu.

Manjunath grabs the mic this time, and says "Look at how good the roads are. I heard they were laid during Revanna's time. That is what a good politician does," he says, praising his brother-in-law.

As his car reaches Santemavatooru, a beneficiary of Dr Manjunath, Mohammad Ghouse, seeks the mic to speak a few words. As he is pushed through the crowd packed atop the jeep, he introduces himself, presents a portrait of Shri Raghavendra Swami and says: "This man, Dr Manjunath, sees people beyond religion and caste lines. I am a Muslim man, and just like me, thousands of people have received free-of-cost treatment from him. He never asked me what my religion was, and I am confident he never will. I request my Muslim brethren to support a man who is truly committed to development," he says, amid a roaring applause.

The mic goes back to Manjunath and he says, "save dharma and desha by voting for Modi and Manjunath."

"Women have pledged their mangalsutra in front of me, asking me to save their close one's life. But I always believe that a life is more important than a file, and that humanity comes first and payment comes later. Just look at the amount of help people are getting because of Jan Aushadi Kendras," Manjunath says, as the villagers keenly listen.

'Congress leaders secretly pledging support'

Dr Manjunath has confidence in the central government's schemes and their effectiveness in helping the BJP in this election. "The BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided the common man with house, toilets, cooking gas and five kilograms of free rice — everything a family needs to survive with their dignity."

His team tells Swarajya that many Congress leaders across the assembly segments have secretly approached them in support. They are afraid of their identity being revealed but are elated with Dr Manjunath's nomination as a candidate because many of their family and relatives have benefitted from Jayadeva. They also think that he is a good man, and deserves support regardless of the party he belongs to.

Manjunath's team are also emphasising winning votes at a booth level across the constituency. Such announcements were made throughout the day when Swarajya travelled along.

Jagdish R Chandra, a State Executive Member of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) has been helping Dr Manjunath with his campaign. He says that the doctor has treated over eight lakh patients for free, and has saved countless lives.

Dr Manjunath, speaking to Swarajya, says that the news of his name being proposed came as a pleasant surprise to him.

"Although I belong to a political family, I have always maintained my distance from politics, and such discussions have never taken place. But after my retirement in January, the BJP approached me regarding this. The high command was considering Bengaluru North, but ultimately decided to make me contest from Bangalore Rural instead because Home Minister Amit Shah felt that I was the perfect candidate to fight the polls here," Manjunath says.

'Y K Ramaiah's legacy must be continued'

During H D Kumaraswamy's term as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, his decision to waive off farmers' loans made him popular among the masses. Farmers were burdened with loans and suicide rates were on the rise.

Recalling his contribution, Dr Manjunath reminds the people to remember who stood with the farmers when they were under strain. He says that the Congress government is not doing anything beyond blaming the Centre for not providing enough funds — an issue that never came up during the BJP rule in the state.

"Still, if people are selling their soul for 500 rupees, it is a tragedy," he says to a gathering in Kunigal. Places like Kunigal, Ramanagara and Kanakapura are crucial for the BJP to win the constituency since the D K brothers are powerful in the region.

His comrades remind the voters about how the current Congress government is 'looting' people. "They take your own money in different ways. Prices for agreements and family tree preparation have increased. Milk rates have increased and people are getting inflated electricity bills. Ultimately, they'll rob you in a way you don't realise and end up compensating you with a few hundred rupees," an associate of Manjunath tells the crowd.

They bring up popular poll issues such as the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, appeasement of Muslims, D K Suresh's recent controversy where he said that South India may ask for a separate country if things go on the same way, and the mystery behind D K Ravi — an IAS officer's death in Karnataka.

"They'll wash your hands with your own tears," a person says through the microphone.

Dr Manjunath recalls the legacy of former Congress leader Y K Ramaiah and tells the people of Kunigal that sericulture must be modernised. Ramaiah, a lawyer-turned-politician from Kunigal played a crucial role in providing a bonus for silk growers. Sericulture is a prominent contributor to the economy of the region and has employed thousands of people who work in the industry.

During Ramakrishna Hegde's government in Karnataka, Ramaiah as the Minister of Silk Affairs travelled to Japan and Korea to study sericulture and introduce best practices in the region.

'Rama's heart, Krishna's wit and a mother's blessings'

When the good doctor picks up the mic, he sounds like a professional neta who knows what he is speaking and how to communicate with the rural folks. As the convoy passed by a cluster of houses of the Muslim community, Manjunath said that the Congress party appeases one community continuously, but has done very little for them in reality.

"But the BJP is different. Millions of Muslims are benefitting from the schemes launched by the Modi government. I never thought I will enter politics, but politics has found me," he adds. He has a story ready for every stop.

Here is one which especially caught this writer's attention: a man once died and went to Chitragupta to have his fate met. Chitragupta gives him an option to decide where he wants to live in his afterlife — heaven or hell.

"That man first visits hell. But it was nothing like he imagined before. He saw people drinking, dancing, consuming meat and having a blast. He thought it couldn't be so bad. This is what most people want. But out of curiosity, he visits heaven to have a look at how it is. To his discovery, he found it very boring, sober and calm," the doctor says. By now, the audience is gripped.

"But once he decided to remain in hell, the next day, the guards of hell were torturing people by pouring burning oil, chopping them into pieces. So the man then goes to Chitragupta and asks what is happening. Chitragupta says, "Yesterday was election day my friend. That's why the booze, meat and freebies. Today, we are back to reality."

The audience whistled with their two fingers between their lips, and shouted "Dr Manjunath ge Jai" — "may Manjunath be victorious."

Dr Manjunath maintains a calm demeanour throughout the day. Some of his patients come up to him and touch his feet now and then. His assistant reminds him about the patient and what treatment he or she sought. This included an octogenarian lady and her husband who approached Manjunath in K Honnamachanahalli with a Mysore pete, shawl and flowers and thanked him for saving their lives.

Some BJP workers call Suresh 'Kamsa' and ask the villagers to wake up and realise their mistake. For them, it is a do-or-die battle, since they believe they could not have a better candidate than Dr Manjunath.

But whenever a worker goes out of his way and uses unparliamentary language for their political opponents, Manjunath intervenes and asks them to maintain decorum and dignity in addressing the opposition.

They are slightly embarrassed, but not offended.

"You'll get water from the Hemavati River once again if the doctor is elected. Don't take this casually. You remember what happened to Vajpayee ji when he lost power because of one vote, let's not do that to Modi ji or Manjunath avaru," a pracharak says.

Dr Manjunath believes that the right candidate must have the goodness of Sri Ramachandra, the wit and wisdom of Sri Krishna and a mother's blessings — with these three things, they can conquer the world and make it a better place.

"Children are given a bar of chocolate before they are kidnapped. I don't think I need to elaborate any further," the doctor says, with a smile on his face, as crowds throng him for selfies.

This report is part of Swarajya's 50 Ground Stories Project - an attempt to throw light on themes and topics that are often overlooked or looked down. You can support this initiative by sponsoring as little as ₹2999. Click here for more details.