In the labyrinth of political tides, DK Suresh, the incumbent Member of Parliament representing Congress, found himself engulfed by the sweeping wave of change as he conceded the Bangalore Rural constituency to BJP’s C N Manjunath in the fierce battleground of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. The Congress, traditionally entrenched in this pivotal constituency within the Karnataka Capital City, suffered a resounding defeat, witnessing the unseating of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s brother, DK Suresh.
Bangalore Rural, long perceived as a bastion for the Congress, unfolded a gripping narrative during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The veteran Congress MP, the lone victor for the party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, was thrust into a compelling face-off against the formidable alliance of BJP and JD(S), led by the eminent cardiac surgeon, C N Manjunath.
Aged 57, Suresh stands as the younger sibling to the Deputy Chief Minister and the state Congress chief, D K Shivakumar.
Suresh’s political journey in the Bangalore Rural segment traces back to the 2013 bypolls, where he clinched victory against former MLA Anitha Kumaraswamy. This victory came in the wake of her husband, former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s resignation from the Lok Sabha, subsequent to his triumph in the Assembly polls that year. Suresh’s electoral success echoed in the subsequent general elections of 2014 and 2019. Notably, Suresh ranks as the second wealthiest contestant from Karnataka, amassing assets valued at Rs 593.04 crore, as disclosed in his nomination filings. However, in a testament to the diversity of wealth in politics, Congress candidate Venkataramane Gowda, fondly known as ‘Star Chandru’, emerges as the wealthiest contender, boasting assets exceeding Rs 622 crore, as per a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
On the opposing front, Manjunath, the son-in-law of Deve Gowda and brother-in-law to former Chief Minister and state JD(S) President H D Kumaraswamy, emerges as the torchbearer for the BJP, spearheading his electoral campaign with a storied background as the head of the state-owned Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research for 17 illustrious years until his retirement in January of the election year. Manjunath’s legacy is underscored by his pioneering approach, famously known as the ‘treatment first, payment next’ paradigm. His innovative technique in performing Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty (BMV) in challenging cases has earned him widespread acclaim, now colloquially referred to as the ‘Manjunath technique’.
As the dust settled on the 2024 polls, the electoral canvas painted a vivid picture of civic participation. With a registered voter count of 2,802,580 in the constituency, the electorate displayed a commendable turnout of 68.30%, amounting to a total of 1,914,030 votes cast, as per data released by the Election Commission. The constituency witnessed its electoral crescendo in the second phase on April 26, 2024.
Reflecting on the electoral annals, the 2019 Lok Sabha Polls saw D.K. Suresh of Congress fortifying his position, securing the seat with 878,258 votes, constituting 54.15% of the total votes cast. His victory margin stood at an impressive 206,870 votes as he triumphed over Ashwath Narayan Gowda. Rewinding further to 2014, Suresh’s electoral prowess manifested with a commanding victory, amassing 652,723 votes (44.85%) and prevailing over Muniraju Gowda P of BJP, by a resounding margin of 231,480 votes.