Rekha Huliyappa Gowda BJP candidate in Hassan

The party is eyeing on Kuruba votes in the constituency

If the JD(S) has decided to field a woman candidate, Geetha Shivarajkumar in Shimoga constituency against BJP top leader B S Yeddyurappa, the BJP on the other hand, has decided to filed a woman candidate against JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda in Hassan constituency.

Hassan constituency comprises of Kadur Assembly constituency, which is a part of Chikmagalur district.

The BJP has finalised the name of former Chikmagalur Zilla Panchayat President Rekha Huliyappagowda to contest from Hassan constituency. Unlike Geetha Shivarajkumar, Rekha has no influential political background to contest as a candidate for MP seat. For Rekha, who is the State Vice-president of BJP, the offer came more or less unexpectedly. Though she was not in the list of aspirants, it was former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa who came to Chikmagalur last week to campaign for Shobha Karandlaje, who casually asked Rekha if she wishes to contest from Hassan. Rekha is said to have immediately replied positively and so her name was added in the list and sent to Delhi for approval.

With BJP finding it difficult to get an eligible candidate to contest from Hassan, following C H Vijayashankar refusing to contest from the constituency, Rekha’s name did not receive any objection from party workers. “All that we need is one candidate to contest from Hassan,” said a BJP leader.

Rekha, having served as the president of State Coir Board when the BJP government was in power, was a ticket aspirant for Udupi-Chikmagalur by-poll. She was also a ticket aspirant from Kadur in the assembly election. She had contested from Birur constituency in 2004 assembly election and was defeated.

The BJP which had not filled Kuruba community quota in ticket distribution, could not field Vijayashankar, a Kuruba, neither from Mysore nor Hassan. The only available option was to filed BJP State President K S Eshwarappa, a Kuruba, from Hassan. Rekha Huliyappa Gowda belonging to Kuruba community turned an advantage for the BJP as it eyed on Kuruba votes in Kadur.

Rekha began her political career from the JD(S) and is now trying her luck against her one time political guru H D Deve Gowda.