Former minister Mahesh confirms loyalty to KR Nagar

Mysuru: Former minister and JD(S) working president SR Mahesh on Monday said he is not considering contesting from the Chamundeshwari assembly constituency in the next elections.Speaking to reporters, he said that he would contest only from the KR Nagar constituency and categorically ruled out entering the fray from any other constituency. He represented the KR Nagar segment thrice and lost to Congress' D Ravishankar in the 2023 polls.This comes amid a feud in the party after Chamundeshwari MLA GT Devegowda distanced himself from the party and moved closer to CM Siddaramaiah, which Union minister HD Kumaraswamy, JD(S) state unit chief, has taken seriously and announced that the party will not field GTD in the 2028 polls.While there is speculation in political circles that Mahesh could switch to the Chamundeshwari segment, the former minister ruled it out. Emphasising his long association with the segment, he said his entire political career — from beginning to end — is tied to KR Nagar.Mahesh also made a strong statement regarding dynastic politics, declaring that no member of his family would enter electoral politics as long as he is alive. He asserted that if any of his family members were to contest elections in the future, he would immediately retire from active politics.Launching a sharp attack on the state govt, Mahesh accused the administration of protecting corrupt officials instead of taking action against them. He alleged that the chief secretary was shielding officers involved in malpractice. Mahesh criticised the govt for allegedly protecting officials rather than ensuring accountability.