Prajwal Revanna, incumbent JD(S) MP, whom the party has already projected as its candidate for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat though the ticket is yet to be officially issued, is facing stiff opposition from a section of leaders in the BJP, the alliance partner for the Lok Sabha polls.
Prajwal Revanna’s grandfather and former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, has held several meetings in the constituency seeking votes for the candidate. Similarly, former Chief Minister and party’s state president H.D. Kumaraswamy also addressed party workers and sought their support for his nephew’s victory in the polls.
However, in the BJP camp, there has been a flurry of activities to oppose Prajwal Revanna’s candidature. Former MLA Preetham Gowda, who is also general secretary of the BJP state unit, and former MLA A.T. Ramaswamy, are said to have written to the party’s high-command opposing his candidature. They have suggested that the party should put pressure on the coalition partner, the JD(S), to field someone else, claiming that the chances of Prajwal Revanna winning are poor. They have also brought the legal fight over his election in 2019 to the attention of the party high-command.
Preetham Gowda, who has considerable influence on voters in the Hassan Assembly segment, has fought two Assembly elections against the Deve Gowda family. He has earned attention in the party because of the strong fight he put up against the family. According to sources in the party, Preetham Gowda, has been avoiding meeting Prajwal Revanna, though the latter showed interest in such a meeting. Besides that, he has also hinted to his supporters that he, being an office-bearer of the party’s state unit, will be looking after campaigning in some other constituency, but not Hassan.
A.T. Ramaswamy, who joined the BJP after quitting the JD(S) last year, was an aspirant for the BJP ticket for the Hassan seat. As the party tied up with the JD(S), he missed his chance. He is also opposing Prajwal Revanna’s candidature. Given the opposition to Prajwal Revanna’s contest, leaders of both parties have not been able to hold a meeting in the constituency.
However, JD(S) leaders are hopeful of resolving the differences amicably. Mr. Prajwal Revanna told the media on Tuesday that he was not aware of BJP leaders’ opposition to his contest. “It has not come to my attention. We will take everyone into confidence and face the elections,” he said. He also added that he would soon meet former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa of the BJP and seek his blessings for the elections.
The Congress has proposed to field Shreyas Patel, grandson of former minister G. Puttaswamy Gowda, against Prajwal Revanna.
