(In the Know Your Candidate series, tfipost.com will profile interesting candidates in the run-up to the 2019 General Elections.)
In what can be described as a surprising and bold move by the BJP, the party has announced the candidature of young lawyer practicing at the Karnataka High Court and youth icon, Tejasvi Surya from the Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency. This happens to be the Lok Sabha constituency which was represented by the former Union Minister Ananth Kumar, who passed away last year.
Tejasvi Surya boasts of excellent organisational skills. In fact, the young leader was groomed by the tall BJP leader, late Union Minister Ananthkumar. Recently, Tejasvi Surya expressed gratitude towards him in a tweet and stated, “Ananthkumar Ji. My first guru in public life. He has seen me grow up since my high school days. I have learnt so much seeing him, talking to him and just seeing him at work. He is one of the tallest leaders of Karnataka ever. I am eternally grateful to him.”
Ananthkumar Ji. My first guru in public life. He has seen me grow up since my high school days. I have learnt so much seeing him, talking to him and just seeing him at work. He is one of the tallest leaders of Karnataka ever. I am eternally grateful to him. pic.twitter.com/KGGKSlTNtM
— Tejasvi Surya (ಮೋದಿಯ ಪರಿವಾರ) (@Tejasvi_Surya) March 25, 2019
Surya has had an illustrious and happening political career. He is not new to public life and has always been actively involved in public service. At a tender age of 12 years, he had received the “Rastreeya Balashri” award. He was also an active member of the ABVP. In 2008, he had taken a major initiative and started an NGO by the name of “Arise India”. For a 28-year old leader, Surya has shown excellent oratory and political maturity. Surya was involved with the popular media outlet, Swarajya, as well. It is clear that Tejasvi Surya possesses impressive intellectual and organisational skills.
His political acumen came to the fore last year during the “Mangalore chalo” rally. It is said to have been his brainchild. Young BJP leaders had taken part in this rally as demanding a ban against the Karnataka Forum for Dignity and People’s Front of India, on account of the involvement of their activists in a number of murders. The rally had proved extremely effective as the BJP managed to sweep the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts during the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections.
Of late, Surya has also emerged as a social media sensation. He is very active on Twitter and is also widely followed. One of his speeches, in which he launched a stinging attack on Modi baiters, went viral. As such, Surya’s oratory skills combined with the energetic attitude and excellent organisational skills that he brings on the table makes him an appropriate heir to Ananthkumar’s legacy.
https://twitter.com/Tejasvi_Surya/status/1108973963747614720
This decision is indeed going to reinforce the BJP’s image as a game changer and a party with a difference. Bangalore South represents the spirit of a new and young India and the BJP is setting the right narrative by fielding a youth icon from the said seat. And one must keep it in mind that he is being fielded from a very important seat. This is not merely symbolic. This seat was represented by the late Union Minister Ananthkumar and till only recently there were speculations about PM Modi might contest from this seat besides Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. The BJP is pretty serious about promoting young leadership.
Tejaswi is a self-made political leader who worked hard in order to climb to this position. Unlike other parties in which dynastic successors are flaunted as youth icons and leaders of the future, the BJP has rewarded a hard-working leader with an election ticket. This young man has now been shouldered the responsibility of taking Ananthkumar’s inspiring legacy forward. This is why the BJP is seen as the party of India’s future which grooms and promotes young and capable leadership without. This differentiates the BJP from other parties in which dynasty is usually the decisive factor.
