Rise of C.T.Ravi in Karnataka Politics

Politics in India is slowly inching towards a significant change in the leadership by allowing the next generation leaders to take up prime roles in the political parties. First gen leaders of various parties of Independent India are slowly getting retired, by allowing second gen leaders to administer the various responsibilities. Youth leaders who can unite all the leaders of the party and who have been liked by voters and volunteers are moving up to key decision making roles in the party. Congress which is known for its caste based politics itself has taken a decision of not encouraging its traditional way, but to part the responsibilities to youth in few states. Consider the example of Rajasthan, where Congress has given the leadership to its young leader Sachin Pilot to conquer the Modi wave and bring the party back in power. Similarly, Dinesh Gundurao has been given the leadership of the party in Karnataka.

It is important to note that, in Karnataka, BJP has lost the majority in last Assembly elections due to few of its own decisions. Later on, it continued to lose in the by-election in two constituencies, because of the failed local leadership. The reason to lose more than 12 seats in Karnataka Assembly with the difference of below 2000 votes, is because of the non-implementation of the 19-point agenda given by Amit Shah and of the least efforts towards resolving the difference of opinions within the party. It is the absolute truth that BJP wouldn’t have won even 80 seats if it wasn’t Modi and Amit Shah who rallied around the state. Other than few press meets at Jagannath Bhavan, people didn’t witness anything else from some of the top leaders in the State. By having a look at all these points, we feel, it is time for BJP to make major changes in the state leaderships. Shri. BS Yedyurappa (BSY), who performed his duty very well as the party President by travelling across the state, is the opposition leader now. The happenings in between Siddaramaya and Kumaraswami give a clear indication of the short lifespan of the present coalition Government. If the present Government fails to continue, then there may be a chance for BJP to rule the State and for BSY to become the Chief Minister with the help of some MLAs or with absolute majority in the re-election. In that case along with CM responsibility, state Party President role will be difficult to manage for Yedyurappa.

So when BSY takes active role in governance, there is a need for very capable young leader  to become the party president to take on the coalition of Cong-JDS effectively. More over this upholds the party principle of "One Person- One Responsibility". But the party has to be very careful in choosing the leader. It has to note the changes in the mood of people and keep those leaders away who lives on caste based politics, who tried to weaken the party because of personal agendas; and choose the leader who stood for the party in all situations. With all the factors considered, with the observation of recent 10 years of party history, a common Karyakarta gets only few able names like CT Ravi, Sunil Kumar, Nalin Kumar in his mind. Among them, the history of principled political struggle of CT Ravi is very much appealing. His experience, faith on party principles, toughness, fights to favor the party are worth huge applause and will be more beneficial to the growth of the party.

He was only 14 years old when he got arrested because of his participation in Farmers’ strike around Chikamagalur in Karnataka. He joined ABVP when he was 15 years old and he had a strong team of farmers’ kids who helped poor children. When he took on the leadership of ABVP, there were no proper bus facilities for students who go to colleges in cities from villages. CT Ravi led the strike to demand bus facility for these students. With his young blood, tremendous courage, mindset of a fierce fighter for justice, Chikamagalur became no less than a battlefield. District authorities were forced to stop these fights due to political pressures. When they started searching for the sculptor of the strike, it led to none other than CT Ravi. A case on 35 youngsters were lodged and CT Ravi got hit with lathi following with the arrest again. When that fight was ended, CT Ravi was a famous face in Chikamagalur at his 16 years age. Rama Janma Bhoomi’s fights in 80's and Advani's RathYatra brought Ravi close to VHP from ABVP. The Nationalistic views of Ravi took shape through Sangha’s Varga, Sanghik & Boudhik courses. Later his authorities got expanded to BJP and he was made the BJP secretary for Grama Panchayath Samithi by local BJP leaders. That was the time when BJP had just started blooming in the state and HD Devegowda’s Janata party was at its peak. At that time CT Ravi displayed the courage to contest for Co-operative bank elections. When his father asked him to join Janatha party rather than joining BJP because of the caste oriented thoughts, he was firm with his ideology and was courageous enough to join BJP influenced by Atal ji , Advani ji, and Yadiyurappa ji in BJP.  That is the CT Ravi who always stood for Nationalism and Hinduism above caste politics.

That was the time when DattaPeetha was known as Bababudan Giri and the movement to free DattaPeetha was just started. CT Ravi was the one who led the movement efficiently being the local leader. His part in freeing DattaPeetha from the name Bababudan Giri and giving back the right of worshipping to Hindus is huge, because of his hard fights by studying subject in depth, planning the complete agitation, leading the movement by continuously participating in more than 15 PadaYatras. In a way, the fight of DattaPeetha made the Hindus to re think about themselves against the Muslim dominance in Coastal and Malnadu regions. Along with DattaPeetha movement, he worked as District Secretary to the party in his very young age and then as Yuva Morcha President for the state. Ravi laid a strong foundation for the party with 19 Padayatras and staying in villages, mobilizing villagers, fighting for their rights and helping them as needed. A total of 61 police cases were filed on him at that time and he had to be in jail for many months

I heard Karyakarta’s admiring CT Ravi’s less known involvement in the movement to hoist National flag in the Idgah Maidan in Hubli. Police had arrested the group of youth from Sangha who had started from Chikamagalur to participate in the movement. But the group led by CT Ravi escaped from the eyes of Police and reached Hubli with determined mind to hoist the flag. Volunteers got arrested from the place where arrangements were made for them to rest at Hubli.  Team led by CT Ravi escaped in the previous night by taking shelter at a gunnybag shop. On the day of flag hoisting, Golibar was carried out by the police on the groups who came like a tsunami from nowhere. Group was scattered, but CT Ravi moved forward. Suddenly, a bullet got shot upon the karyakarta who was next to him and within minutes another bullet was shot on another Karyakarta who was in the other side of him. His volunteer friends were in the pool of blood and he had just escaped from the bullets which were shot in the air. But CT Ravi didn’t take a step back and was the one who continued fighting.

“Kashmir Chalo” movement by BJP to hoist the National flag, daring Pak terrorists in Kashmir is an inspiration to every Indian. CT Ravi and his group had started from Chikamagalur after Murli Manohar Joshi’s call. Near the Punjab border, the bus in front of the one in which his group was travelling was attacked by terrorists. But as a true leader he encouraged his team in the bus with “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, “Vande Mataram” slogans which inspired lakhs of our freedom fighters. CT Ravi never feared death even though it was right in front of him many times during various agitations.

Pic: On way to Kashmir , at Bangalore city Railway station.

In 1999 CT Ravi entered active politics by contesting election in Chikamagalur assembly constituency against the mighty congress candidate Sagir Ahmed. Congress ridiculed CT Ravi by telling he will even lose deposit in the election. Though Ravi lost the election against that very strong candidate, the margin was only 982 votes. CT Ravi didn’t rest; he went to people starting very next day. People who were in tears when he lost, gave him a valorous victory with a difference of 25000 votes in the next state election in 2004. When CT Ravi won for the first time on 2004, the first thing he did was to stay in villages with the farmers. Village stay of many politicians in Karnataka is just political gimmicks and they enjoy special food and luxuries in the village. But the village stay by CT Ravi was very different. He used to stay in the village more than a day. As PM Modi says, “Government should go to people if people are unable to reach the Government”. CT Ravi was practicing it for long time as an MLA. He used to take related Govt officials during his village stay and was trying to settle villagers issues there and then.  If the problem is not solvable immediately, he writes it down in his dairy and then follows it up until it was resolved. CT Ravi was  following the ideology of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay of making the facilities available to the last person of the society. Not only this, he also does mingle with the youth of the village, play various games of the village, participate in the specialties of the village in his free times during his village stays. CT Ravi is probably the only politician from the state who is in close and continuous touch with the people of his constituency for more than 13 years now.


CT Ravi played a huge role in re-building BJP when KJP was split out of BJP in 2012. Keeping out the fear of losing his own constituency, he rallied around the state to strengthen BJP.  He stood with the party to support the ideology of the party in this tough situation. He condemned those who opposed the party without any hesitation. Along with being a leader and a great influencer on youth through his ideologies based on Hindutva, he has the capability to stun the opponents without using any abusive words. Because of his leadership qualities, party had made him the National joint-Coordinator of the program of registration of volunteers across nation using missed-call after 2014 elections. CT Ravi is now state’s general secretary of the party, MLA of Chikamagalur and the Prabhari of Tamil Nadu, who is carrying out all his responsibilities tirelessly without lagging in anything.

BJP in Karnataka needs to give opportunity to such youth leaders instead of hanging on to the politicians who appease the leaders and carry out caste politics. This is the right time for the rise of CT Ravi in Karnataka.

Author: Ajith Shetty Heranje, Bangalore