<p>Veteran cook M K Manjunath, 76, had an unexpected visitor at his doorsteps in Kadavina Hosahalli village in Holenarsipur taluk, the fief of the JD(S). The visitor was BJP’s A Manju.</p>.<p>Manjunath jogtrotted to give Manju a hug. “You look just like your father, Manjanna,” he said, to which Manju responded: “Well, I know I’m getting old.”</p>.<p>Manjunath went down memory lane, all the way back to 1962, when he cooked for a function in Manju’s family. “Look, I’m an ardent follower of H D Deve Gowda. I’d not vote for anyone else even if I’m paid a crore. But he’s not contesting this time,” Manjunath said. “And his grandson isn’t the same as Gowda.”</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Manju toils</strong></p>.<p>This election, Manju is banking on the goodwill he has earned over the years.</p>.<p>A minister in the previous Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, Manju joined the BJP as he was upset that the Congress decided to concede the Hassan Lok Sabha seat to the JD(S). Joining the BJP was a homecoming as Manju was earlier with the saffron party.</p>.<p>Manju’s opponent is JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda’s grandson Prajwal Revanna. He is the son of Public Works Minister H D Revanna, who represents the Holenarsipur Assembly segment in Hassan district. Like Manju, Prajwal is also banking on the goodwill his family has earned over the years.</p>.<p>“My family has taken care of all your needs - roads, canals, irrigation, schools and so on,” Prajwal, 28, reminded voters at Anekere village in Channarayapatna taluk. Prajwal was accompanied by his brother Suraj,<br />who was seen with a lemon in his hand, an extension of the faith Revanna has in astrology and superstition.</p>.<p>Generally, locals are fond of Deve Gowda and beam with pride that he went on to become India’s prime minister. But there is a simmering discontent that he chose to contest from Tumkur, fielding Prajwal in his stead. “If it was Gowda, I’d guarantee his victory. With Prajwal, I don’t know. He’ll win if he’s lucky,” farmer Nanjundegowda, 71, said.</p>.<p>Shivakumar, a local JD(S) worker, admits that the BJP had been gaining ground in the Vokkaliga-dominated Hassan. “Still, it’s 40% BJP versus 60% JD(S),” he said.</p>.<p>Manju also enjoys the support of a section of Congress workers. “The Vokkaliga votes will be split 100%. You’ll be shocked to see how people will vote here,” Manju said.</p>
<p>Veteran cook M K Manjunath, 76, had an unexpected visitor at his doorsteps in Kadavina Hosahalli village in Holenarsipur taluk, the fief of the JD(S). The visitor was BJP’s A Manju.</p>.<p>Manjunath jogtrotted to give Manju a hug. “You look just like your father, Manjanna,” he said, to which Manju responded: “Well, I know I’m getting old.”</p>.<p>Manjunath went down memory lane, all the way back to 1962, when he cooked for a function in Manju’s family. “Look, I’m an ardent follower of H D Deve Gowda. I’d not vote for anyone else even if I’m paid a crore. But he’s not contesting this time,” Manjunath said. “And his grandson isn’t the same as Gowda.”</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Manju toils</strong></p>.<p>This election, Manju is banking on the goodwill he has earned over the years.</p>.<p>A minister in the previous Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, Manju joined the BJP as he was upset that the Congress decided to concede the Hassan Lok Sabha seat to the JD(S). Joining the BJP was a homecoming as Manju was earlier with the saffron party.</p>.<p>Manju’s opponent is JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda’s grandson Prajwal Revanna. He is the son of Public Works Minister H D Revanna, who represents the Holenarsipur Assembly segment in Hassan district. Like Manju, Prajwal is also banking on the goodwill his family has earned over the years.</p>.<p>“My family has taken care of all your needs - roads, canals, irrigation, schools and so on,” Prajwal, 28, reminded voters at Anekere village in Channarayapatna taluk. Prajwal was accompanied by his brother Suraj,<br />who was seen with a lemon in his hand, an extension of the faith Revanna has in astrology and superstition.</p>.<p>Generally, locals are fond of Deve Gowda and beam with pride that he went on to become India’s prime minister. But there is a simmering discontent that he chose to contest from Tumkur, fielding Prajwal in his stead. “If it was Gowda, I’d guarantee his victory. With Prajwal, I don’t know. He’ll win if he’s lucky,” farmer Nanjundegowda, 71, said.</p>.<p>Shivakumar, a local JD(S) worker, admits that the BJP had been gaining ground in the Vokkaliga-dominated Hassan. “Still, it’s 40% BJP versus 60% JD(S),” he said.</p>.<p>Manju also enjoys the support of a section of Congress workers. “The Vokkaliga votes will be split 100%. You’ll be shocked to see how people will vote here,” Manju said.</p>
