S Radhakrishnan's grandson picks BJP to contest from Bengaluru South for Lok Sabha polls (Exclusive)

Bengaluru: Former President S Radhakrishnan's grandson Subramanyam Sharma burnt his fingers by contesting the recently-held Assembly election in Karnataka. While the first-timer in politics lost the battle before he started, Sharma is vying for a larger role this time.

Sharma has approached the BJP with an intent to contest the Lok Sabha election from Bengaluru South, a constituency that was home to late MP Ananth Kumar from 1996. "I want to follow the legacy he left behind. And I have sent my application to the central leadership," he said.

Sharma, in May 2018, wanted to dive into state politics by contesting as an independent from Malleshwaram constituency for the Karnataka Assembly election. "I thought I would require political backing and I joined the Mahila Empowerment Party (MEP)," he said, regretting the move, "It was improper preparation."

Being the grandson of a former President, in whose name we celebrate the Teacher's Day every year on September 5, Sharma said, "I come from a strong family of academicians. And I want to be in a party that has a strong leader like Narendra Modi." Sharma believes that Modi is a man whose actions are louder than his words. "Modi is a man who has ensured that the BJP today is rid of corruption. Rafale deal is an issue that is devoid of facts. And his decisions like demonetisation have indeed brought a lot of good. Initial hiccups cannot mar people's perception," he said.

By trying to fill the shoes of Ananth Kumar, challenges and comparisons may be aplenty, but Sharma is all set to face it if given the opportunity. "I am not here to replace him. I want to follow in his footsteps. I do not want to ride on the sympathy wave. I want to portray the work he has done and carry it forward. I want to be the liaison between Karnataka leaders (irrespective of parties) and represent their issues in the Centre, just like Ananth Kumar did," he said, adding that his grandfather's virtue that he will always carry with him is "truthfulness."

Lok Sabha election in 2019 is expected to be one that would be fiercely fought by various parties and leaders, especially after the recent Assembly election held in five states. "Except Chhattisgarh, BJP has been an extremely strong contender everywhere else. Anti-incumbency is an issue that plagues every party. The difference here is that this issue can never take the sheen off Modi," said Sharma, vehemently claiming that Modi should be back once more to rule the nation that lacks a strong contender.

Sharma has his agenda set. While he obviously wants to focus on education, Sharma says that his focus is not on getting IITs and IIMs, but on improving the infrastructure of government schools. And since Bengaluru South is one of those constituencies that is home to a majority of literate people, "I run a company and I want to address unemployment and provide jobs," he said.

However, sources say that BJP cadres in the constituency are heavily batting for Ananth Kumar's wife Tejaswini. The family hasn't decided yet. The party too is yet to take a call on who can be the face of Bengaluru South, after Ananth Kumar. Sharma claims that he is unaware of Tejaswini's name doing the rounds but is hopeful that his grandfather may bless him from above to ensure his political career blooms with the lotus.

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