Karnataka polls: All of 27, young idealist AAP candidate takes on political giants in Koppal

He is 27, a post-graduate student with a commitment to secular values, self-made and has named himself after both Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar. Meet MK Saheb Nageshanahalli, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Koppal in the Karnataka assembly elections.

The youngest candidate in the state may or may not win the electoral battle but he is certainly making waves in the constituency some 300 km from Bengaluru as he takes on giants from the Congress, BJP and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S).

In the process, he has attracted a large number of volunteers to his side from around the country who are doing their best to spread the message that MK Saheb, a Muslim by birth, needs to win.

The AAP chose him as its candidate seeing his zeal for social work and idealism. Originally called Moulasab, he has changed his name to MK Saheb Nageshanahalli — MK for Mohandas Karamchand (Gandhi) and Saheb for Babasaheb (Ambedkar).

Also read: Karnataka polls will open door for Congress in 2024 LS elections: Shivakumar

Background

MK Saheb has a BA degree and is currently enrolled for an MA course in both history and political science. He is also pursuing a law degree. A student activist, he says he was inspired by Bhagat Singh, Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi. He has been involved with the AAP for some six months.

He lives in a small house in Nageshanahalli in Koppal taluk, gives free tuition to children of the village and has a small library for children. After he lost his father when he was 11, his mother educated her children amidst hardships by running a food joint in Koppal. “It is because of our mother’s hard work that I got into post-graduation,” he told The Federal.

“As a young person, I have no political background, I have no money and I have declared myself a candidate for my honesty and hard work… I request people to donate for me. Some give Rs 1, some give Rs 10. Through this I am committing myself that I have to work for the people and shun corruption and casteism.”

He complains of hate and divisive politics in Karnataka. “We have to create a secular society,” he said. MK Saheb is a member of a leadership training institute.

Biren Bhuta, a former NDTV journalist and banker, had a brief stint as the CSR head of Tata Steel in Jamshedpur. He decided that his life’s mission was to set up a leadership school.

Friends help

Bhuta and his colleagues from Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and other places have to come to help MK Saheb in the election campaign. They are also helping him to develop leadership skills and campaigning for him.

Bhuta told The Federal: “We are appealing for clean politics, good governance and inclusive growth. We are not in any political party. We came here finding MK Saheb has good thinking.”

“All of us reached Koppal on April 11. We will be here till the counting day on May 13, campaigning for MK, planning the campaign through the crowdfunding model,” he added.

MK Saheb has petitioned the authorities to improve bus connectivity to his village, launched a social protest when a Dalit friend was prevented from entering a temple and taking up Muslim girls’ right to wear the hijab. He also got crowdfunding to cover his essential expenses. It was thus that he created the momentum to get the AAP ticket, said Bhuta.

Also read: Karnataka polls: Congress’ Parameshwara injured in stone pelting during road show

His main rivals include Congress’ Raghavendra Basavaraj Hitnal, a two-time MLA and a Lingayat leader. The BJP contestant is Manjula Amaresh, a Lingayat and daughter-in-law of Karadi Sanganna, the MP from Koppal. These two families have represented Koppal for the last 25 years. MK’s supporters say it is high time that a Muslim boy, with secular ideology and from a humble background, needs to get elected.

Ground support

The Federal saw that many youths from different communities including Muslims, OBCs and SC/STs are helping MK in the election campaign. Local leaders of AAP said that there have been incidents when powerful leaders of the area have harassed AAP workers.

Can MK win? Another party activist was realistic. “Even if MK Saheb gets 8,000 to 10,000 votes, he will make history for AAP.”