Bengaluru: In 1996, Bengaluru South Lok Sabha Constituency was held by BJP MP K. Venkatagiri Gowda, a veteran. Although he was expecting a re-election, the BJP decided to bring in a young candidate to Bengaluru South.
The candidate was 37-year-old Ananth Kumar. The decision to give a newcomer the ticket was frowned upon by many in the party, pointing out that 37-year-old Ananth Kumar was inexperienced and an ‘outsider’ from Hubballi. But to everyone’s surprise, Ananth Kumar defeated Varalakshmi, the widow of former Chief Minister R. Gundu Rao.
