The Janata Dal (Secular) family feud over the ticket for Hassan Assembly seat intensified on Monday with supporters of Bhavani Revanna gathering in large numbers outside the Sansad Bhavan in the constituency, demanding for a ticket for their leader.
Bhavani Revanna, a former Hassan Zilla Panchayat member, is the wife of party patriarch and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda’s elder son HD Revanna. Her brother-in-law and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy has not budged from his declaration of fielding a common party worker from Hassan in upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections.
“I have already said that I will field a normal party worker in Hassan and will defeat the BJP candidate, I’m still committed to that stand…I will take a decision that will ensure that there is no breach in the public goodwill towards this party,” Kumaraswamy had said last week.
Bhavani Revanna’s rival for the ticket and Kumarawamy’s preferred choice of candidate is HP Swaroop, a former Hassan Zilla Panchayat vice-president and son of former MLA late HS Prakash. He, too, has been visiting villages along with his supporters.
Responding to the show of strength by Bhavani Revanna’s supporters, Kumaraswamy said it is normal for an aspirant to try and mount on the party leadership for a ticket.
“Those who desire to contest for elections try to do all this to mount pressure on us. Why should we worry ourselves for this? Given his current health, party supremo HD Deve Gowda is also not in a state to decide on this. We all will sit, discuss on this issue and then take a decision,” the former CM said.
Kumaraswamy had even called for a meeting with party leaders to discuss the issue but the meeting was reportedly called off by Deve Gowda.
JD(S) has already announced the first list of candidates for the 2023 Assembly elections in Karnataka and is likely to announce the second list before March 15.
Bhavani Revanna seemingly has the support of her husband, and sons Prajwal and Suraj Revanna, who are Hassan MP and an MLC, respectively. However, they have not publicly differed with Kumaraswamy’s stand.
The staring match for the Hassan ticket had started with Bhavani recently, and publicly, claiming that her name had been finalised by the party for the Hassan seat and a formal announcement will be made soon, to which Kumaraswamy had said that her candidature was not necessary as the party has a capable candidate in the constituency.
Some political observers are of the opinion that the perception about JD(S) being too family centric is one of its major drawbacks and the reason for Kumaraswamy wanting to field a party worker like Swaroop.
Eight members of Gowda’s immediate family are into active politics. Gowda, who is the JD(S) supremo, is also Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, while his son Kumaraswamy is a former CM and MLA from Channapatna. Kumaraswamy’s wife Anitha is MLA from Ramanagara segment, and his son Nikhil, who is the JD(S) youth wing president, had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Mandya.
The party supremo’s elder son HD Revanna is a former minister and MLA from Holenarsipura, his wife Bhavani Revanna was a member of the Hassan Zilla Panchayat, and their sons Prajwal and Suraj are MP from Hassan and an MLC, respectively.
The Gowda family has its representation in all the four major houses of public representatives – Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council.
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