Karnataka : JDS divided on the candidate for Hassan
Bengaluru: The task of finalising the JDS candidate for the Hassan Assembly seat hasn’t been a smooth affair for the party since the party leaders MLA H.D. Revanna is lobbying for a ticket to his wife Bhavani while former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is backing the candidature of Swaroop, a Zilla Panchayat member.
Revanna is the elder brother of Kumaraswamy. Both the leaders have remained adamant in their demand on the candidate selection and a couple of meetings have failed to resolve the candidate.
Hassan district is a stronghold of JDS and home turf of former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda. In the 2018 assembly poll, Bharatiya Janata Party nominee Preetham Gowda won the seat defeating his nearest rival JDS nominee H.S. Prakash who had represented the seat for four consecutive times.
About six months back, H.D. Kumaraswamy announced Swaroop, son for late MLA H.S. Prakash as the nominee for the Assembly election and amid the announcement of Swaroop as candidate, a couple of months back, Bhavani in a public function stated that her name has been cleared by the party leaders to contest the ensuing Assembly poll for Hassan seat and her name would be declared soon.
To make matters tough for Swaroop, sources said supporters of Swaroop shouted slogans against Revanna on a couple of occasions demanding a ticket for their leader which did not go well with Revanna and an enraged Revanna reportedly made a decision to deny ticket for Swaroop. He started lobbying for his Bhavani.
It is said H.D. Kumaraswamy’s calculations are that Dasa Vokkaligas, a sub caste of Vokkaligas are dominant in Hassan Assembly seat and Swaroop being a Dasa Vokkaliga is an automatic choice for the JDS. Kumaraswamy is strongly backing Swaroop for Hassan seat.
In another round of meetings on Sunday, at the residence of JDS supremo H.D. Devegowda failed to arrive at a decision on the candidate for the Hassan seat since both Revanna and Kumaraswamy reportedly stuck to their decision. However, the decision on selection of the candidate is on H.D. Devegowda to decide.
Revanna is the MLA of Holenarsipura, his son Prajwal is the Lok Sabha member of Hassan seat and his elder son is the MLC (local bodies) in Hassan. His wife Bhavani is a Zilla Panchayat member representing Halekote ZP seat in Hassan.
Kumaraswamy in Channapatna of Ramnagar district on Monday and he told reporters that a decision on Hassan’s nominee would be decided after Devegowda returns from New Delhi in a couple of days.
