Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar

In a battle involving the 'royal' and the 'ordinary', the voters of Mysuru are faced with a dilemma of choosing between BJP's Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and Congress's M Lakshmana in the Lok Sabha polls.

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Wadiyar, the 'Maharaja of Mysore', will make his debut in electoral politics in the Lok Sabha elections this year, with the BJP fielding him as its candidate from the Mysore Lok Sabha segment, replacing sitting MP Pratap Simha.

The current scion of the Mysore royal family, which built iconic forts and palaces during its rule, has pitched for preserving the heritage of Bengaluru, including the now-threatened Asiatic building.

Each time the 100,000 light bulbs in and around the magnificent Mysuru Palace are turned on - there is an audible gasp. This year, ahead of the grand Vijayadashami procession, the reaction was similar.

In the modern day republic, we have no kings and queens, but for many Mysoreans, the head of the family remains 'Namma Maharaja' - our Maharaja.

If India still had kings, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar would be 'Maharaja of Mysore.' The 23-year-old was handed that designation after a series of ceremonies this morning, but now it only makes him the titular head of Mysore's royal family.

In a battle involving the 'royal' and the 'ordinary', the voters of Mysuru are faced with a dilemma of choosing between BJP's Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and Congress's M Lakshmana in the Lok Sabha polls.

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Wadiyar, the 'Maharaja of Mysore', will make his debut in electoral politics in the Lok Sabha elections this year, with the BJP fielding him as its candidate from the Mysore Lok Sabha segment, replacing sitting MP Pratap Simha.

The current scion of the Mysore royal family, which built iconic forts and palaces during its rule, has pitched for preserving the heritage of Bengaluru, including the now-threatened Asiatic building.

Each time the 100,000 light bulbs in and around the magnificent Mysuru Palace are turned on - there is an audible gasp. This year, ahead of the grand Vijayadashami procession, the reaction was similar.

In the modern day republic, we have no kings and queens, but for many Mysoreans, the head of the family remains 'Namma Maharaja' - our Maharaja.

If India still had kings, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar would be 'Maharaja of Mysore.' The 23-year-old was handed that designation after a series of ceremonies this morning, but now it only makes him the titular head of Mysore's royal family.