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Ex-mayor gives evidence of KRS Road’s 1921 name
Former Mysuru mayor Sandesh Swamy on Thursday presented a 1921 dated map with evidence that the road was officially named “Princess Road” by the then City Improvement Trust Board
Amid ongoing row over renaming of Mysuru’s KRS Road as “Siddaramaiah Aarogya Marga,” former Mysuru mayor Sandesh Swamy on Thursday presented a 1921 dated map with evidence that the road was officially named “Princess Road” by the then City Improvement Trust Board (CITB). The claim was rejected by the state Congress.
At a press conference in Mysuru, Swamy presented a map from 1921 as evidence that the road was officially named “Princess Road” by the then City Improvement Trust Board (CITB), which later became the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA). “The ongoing controversy has caused unnecessary embarrassment to the chief minister, who is from Mysuru,” Swamy said.
Swamy added that the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) had initially planned to honour Siddaramaiah in 2013, during his first term as chief minister, but Siddaramaiah declined the gesture. “Now, as he serves his second term, he should intervene to resolve this issue,” he said.
Highlighting the need for adherence to established protocols, Swamy said, “Officials must ensure that processes, such as passing resolutions in the MCC council and seeking government approval, are followed. This tradition respects distinguished personalities while maintaining procedural integrity.”
He further said that during his tenure as mayor, a park in JP Nagar was named after Siddaramaiah following public demand, and as per guidelines, “There is no provision to name another road, park, or junction after the same individual once their name has already been commemorated.”
Swamy also criticised the MCC for failing to implement resolutions to name landmarks, including the Outer Ring Road as “S.M. Krishna Road.” He expressed disappointment in officials, stating, “There seems to be a lack of understanding among the current generation regarding the historical significance of naming roads and landmarks.”
Challenging his claims about “Princess Road,” Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesperson M Lakshmana said: “There is no mention of ‘Princess Road’ in MCC records. It was renamed KRS Road in 1931, as documented in the deputy commissioner’s office. We will name it after Siddaramaiah, come what may. A proposal will be sent to the government for implementation if the records are available.”
In response, Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar defended the road’s historical identity. “Letters sent from an address on this road refer to it as ‘Princess Road’. The Mysore Tour Map published by the Survey of India explicitly marks it as ‘Princess Road’. Records from 1921 confirm this name was formally assigned,” he said.
Wadiyar stressed the importance of acknowledging the road’s historical and cultural legacy and said: “Recognising its origins and honouring the royal family’s contributions is essential. It is our responsibility to preserve this heritage for future generations.”
Taking a dig at Wadiyar, Lakshmana called him a “duplicate” titular head of the Mysore royal family. He said: “Yaduveer, adopted by Pramoda Devi Wadiyar after the death of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, is not an original member of the royal family.” Lakshmana criticised Wadiyar’s involvement with the BJP, noting that it was the Congress that had supported his adoptive father in parliamentary elections.
Amid the controversy, city Congress president R Murthy suggested a compromise and said, “If genuine records show that KRS Road was named ‘Princess Road’, then the name could remain. However, if no such records exist, the road should be renamed as ‘Siddaramaiah Aarogya Marga’.”
