## Three Former Chief Ministers of Karnataka Enter Lok Sabha Race
The upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka are witnessing a unique phenomenon with three former Chief Ministers from the NDA contesting the polls. This has added a new dimension to the already heated campaign scene in the Congress-ruled state.
Basavaraj Bommai (Haveri), Jagadish Shettar (Belgaum), and H D Kumaraswamy (Mandya) are all vying for a seat in the national parliament. Their entry into the fray has brought back memories of several predecessors who successfully transitioned from state politics to national politics.
Bommai and Shettar, both Lingayats, represent the BJP, while Kumaraswamy, a Vokkaliga, is the JD(S) state President and son of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. The BJP is contesting in 25 out of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, while the JD(S), which joined the NDA last year, is contesting in three.
## A Look at the Former Chief Ministers' Political Journeys
Out of the 23 Chief Ministers of Karnataka (formerly known as Mysore state), 14 have also served as members of Lok Sabha and two in Rajya Sabha. Seven of them, including K C Reddy, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Veerendra Patil, Gundu Rao, S Bangarappa, Veerappa Moily, and B S Yediyurappa, shifted to national politics after demitting the office of Chief Minister.
An equal number of former Chief Ministers, including S Nijalingappa, H D Deve Gowda, J H Patel, S M Krishna, N Dharam Singh, H D Kumaraswamy, and D V Sadananda Gowda, became Chief Ministers after serving as Parliamentarians. S R Bommai and Ramakrishna Hegde had their Parliamentary innings as members of Rajya Sabha.
## The Aspirations of the Three Former Chief Ministers
Basavaraj Bommai is making his debut in the Lok Sabha polls, almost a year after the BJP's poor performance in the assembly elections. He is hoping to be part of the Modi cabinet if the BJP-led NDA returns to power.
Jagadish Shettar, who is contesting from Belgaum, is also aiming for a ministerial berth in the Modi government. He had earlier served as Chief Minister for a brief period in 2012-2013.
H D Kumaraswamy, who is contesting from Mandya, has expressed his desire to become Agriculture Minister if the NDA comes back to power. He has served as Chief Minister twice, once in 2006-2007 and again in 2018-2019.
The Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka are likely to be a closely contested affair, and the presence of these three former Chief Ministers will undoubtedly add to the excitement and intrigue of the campaign.