How Shivarajkumar devised a clean camapaign

When the JD(S) announced the candidacy of Gita Shivrajkumar from the Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency, it was taken for granted that her husband would campaign for her. But Shivrajkumar, Shivanna to the legions of his fans, was very clear that he was campaigning for his wife as a person, and not for the party she represented. He also advised Gita to not say anything negative about any individual or party during campaigning.
“I told Gita to be absolutely honest and to run a positive campaign,” he said. Now, looking back, he is satisfied. “It was a clean campaign. We were not negative and we did not target anybody,” he says.
“For me, the result is secondary. But the affection of the people – across age and gender – touched me and moved me. Mind, you, this was my first political campaign,” he says.
Shivrajkumar was at his wife’s side when she filed her nomination. He had to return to Bangalore for the shooting of a film, but once that ended, he headed back to Shimoga, where he was a familiar figure on the campaign trail. ”Politics is in Gita’s blood – she is the daughter of (former Karnataka CM) S Bangarappa, after all. And she has taken care of me all these years. It’s my turn to take care of her,” he smiles.
Naturally, his wife is grateful. “If I had not had his support, I would not contested the elections at all. He saved me from many embarrassing situations during the campaign. There was no tension at all when he was around. I needed his support and he gave me all the support I needed,” she says.