Talks on JD(S) ticket sidelines challenge issue

The talks, on who will get JD(S) ticket to contest in Hassan Assembly constituency, has sidelined the issue that led to these discussions. It has snowballed into an issue affecting the relationships in the undivided first family of the JD(S), with party supremo and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda as patriarch.

It all started with a challenge of BJP MLA from Hassan Preetham J Gowda to the JD(S), especially to Holenarsipur MLA and former minister H D Revanna, son of Deve Gowda, to contest against him.

Real issue

In January in 2022, Preetham had challenged Revanna’s family members, to contest from Hassan segment. “Let us see whether the people of Hassan support my plans and programmes or Revanna’s style of development,” he had said.

“Revanna is an MLA, one of his sons is an MLC and another is an MP. One of his family members will contest from Hassan segment in the upcoming elections. Let them declare the candidate,” Preetham had challenged.

Peace meeting

The peace meeting between Revanna couple and his brother and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, chaired by the patriarch, ended in a stalemate in Bengaluru on Sunday night. The party leaders and workers only wish that the talks do no lead to a split in the ‘family’.

While, Revanna is an MLA, his elder son Suraj is an MLC, younger son MP and wife Zilla Panchayat member. Similarly, while Kumaraswamy and his wife Anitha are MLAs in the neighbouring segments of Channapatna and Ramanagar respectively, their only son Nikhil was a Lok Sabha candidate in 2019, from Mandya. This time, he is slated to be the candidate in place of his mother.

Firm stand

The sources close to the family said that Deve Gowda’s daughter-in-law Bhavani is adamant on her stand to contest from Hassan, while the patriarch is treading the path carefully, not to offend either of the sons and also, party workers.

Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy is firm on his stand that the late MLA H S Prakash’s son H P Swaroop will be Hassan candidate of the JD(S). “Party supremo Deve Gowda would take a final decision on this,” he said.

Sources said that Revanna had suggested alternatives to make peace. But, neither Bhavani nor Kumaraswamy are in a mood to listen. Revanna, who restricts himself to the politics of Hassan, wishes that his word be final in the affairs of Hassan. However, Kumaraswamy, who claims to have plans install the JD(S) government independently, with a simple majority, insists that he has a larger perspective and argues his case. He has been claiming that an ordinary party member would contest from Hassan.

“Only when the contest is tough, a family member would pitch in, to win a segment at any cost,” he had said earlier.

Family issue

According to those close to the ‘family’, the issue has boiled down to a family feud and one-upmanship. “Revanna’s family is rebelling against being treated as inferior to Kumaraswamy and his family. Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy is ‘under pressure’, to snub the family of Revanna,” sources said.

There is also talk that all the talks are a part of a larger plan, for the victory of the Deve Gowda family in Hassan as Swaroop and Preetham belong to the same sub-caste of Vokkaligas. If the votes of the particular sub-caste is divided among these two candidates, Bhavani can win either as a JD(S) candidate or even as an Independent. So, the power would remain within the family.