Preetham up against Gowda family might prove costly in Hassan

The Hassan Assembly segment was in the news much before the election heat picked up, and this seat is poised for a high-stakes battle between the BJP and the JD(S), with the Congress smelling a chance to play spoilsport.

Banking on development works, incumbent BJP MLA Preetham J Gowda is confident of getting elected for a second term. He is up against H P Swaroop, who got the JD(S) ticket after much sparring inside party supremo H D Deve Gowda’s family. Swaroop’s father H S Prakash was a four-time MLA, whose clean image is a plus point for his son.

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Hassan is not a traditional BJP base. Preetham’s win in 2018 was much celebrated as it was the BJP’s first win in this seat since 1999.

The constituency has 2.27 lakh voters, of whom 70,000 are Vokkaligas, 65,000 Muslims, 40,000 OBCs, 30,000 SCs and 10,000 Christians.

Both Preetham and Swaroop belong to the Dasa sub-sect of Vokkaligas. Deve Gowda is a Mullu Vokkaliga. Gowda’s sons H D Revanna and H D Kumaraswamy differed on the ticket. Revanna wanted the ticket for his wife Bhavani. However, Swaroop has an advantage as the entire Deve Gowda family is now backing him.

According to observers, Preetham’s comments about the Deve Gowda family and Muslims could prove costly.

Meanwhile, Congress candidate Banavasi Rangaswamy is also in the fray and his party is looking to divide Muslim votes, denting the JD(S) prospects.

Of the seven constituencies in Hassan district, JD(S) lost only one. This time, the BJP is hopeful of making the lotus bloom in a few segments such as Sakleshpur, where it is locked in a triangular fight with the JD(S) and the Congress.

In Arasikere, sitting JD(S) MLA K M Shivalinge Gowda has shifted to Congress. In exchange, the JD(S) managed to get BJP’s N R Santhosh, who did not get the saffron ticket.

Shravanabelagola is a JD(S) bastion and sitting MLA C N Balakrishna seems confident. Even Holenarasipura has been Revanna’s fief. But this time, he could be in for a fight against Congress’ Shreyas Patel, the grandson of G Puttaswamy Gowda, who once defeated Deve Gowda.

While former minister A Manju of the JD(S) has the edge in Arkalgud, Belur is a three-way fight between the BJP, the JD(S) and the Congress.