Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Aug 4: Devaragunda Venkappajjanamane Sadanand Gowda (DVS), who will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka later today at Bangalore, is known for an infectious smile he always sports, apart from soft and encouraging words. At the same time, in the face of tough challenges, he has proved that he is as hard as rock. Perhaps, the Sanskrit saying, ‘Vajradapi Kathorani Mridooni Kusumadapi (harder than a diamond, more mellow than a flower)’ describes his persona aptly. Gowda, who has stood by RSS and BJP since his young days, has before him the challenge of improving the image of the party, injecting efficiency into state’s administrative cadres, and make the state corruption-free in two years time.

Gowda, who is more popularly known as DV or DVS in the state, was born in 1953 at Mandekolu village in Sullia taluk. After completing primary and high school education at Keyyur and Sullia, he completed his BSc degree course from St Philomena College Puttur, before getting law degree from Vaikunta Baliga Law College, Udupi. He was an activist of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad during his college days. He began his profession by working as a junior to senior advocate, U P Shivaram Gowda. After working for a year as assistant public prosecutor at Sirsi, he returned to private practice in Sullia and Puttur. During this period, he functioned as the district president of BJP Yuva Morcha. He gets credit for tirelessly working for the areca nut farmers and regularizing of encroached lands of poor people under regularization of encroachments scheme.

In his first attempt to enter the state assembly, DVS was defeated in 1989 from Puttur constituency by Congress candidate, Vinay Kumar Sorake by a small margin. After representing Puttur constituency in the assembly twice in successive elections, he discharged duty as the deputy leader of the BJP parliamentary party in the state assembly. DVS got elected as MP from Mangalore constituency in 2004. He was nominated as a director of the Coffee Board in 2005, and was made the state BJP president of the state in 2007. He was at the helm of the party in the state when BJP rose to power for the first time in South India in 2008. In 2009, he became a second-time MP by contesting election from Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency. Apart from working as the national secretary of BJP, DVS has discharged responsibility as party organizer in six states.

DVS has before him a daunting task of managing the state’s affairs in the midst of bitter onslaught by the opposition and some of his own legislators. He faces the tough challenge of  appeasing different factions within the party including RSS loyalists and those who came in from other parties. The BJP, which claimed itself to be a party with discipline, principles, and a difference, has lost most of its credibility during the three year rule under Yeddyurappa. Fans of DVS have been asserting that their leader is far more accessible and accommodating as compared to Yeddyurappa, and that he will be able to steer the BJP back to popularity in the coming days. DVS already has said that his priorities will be good governance, transparent administration, and doing away with corruption. One wishes that he will be able to keep his words.