Karnataka polls: JD(S) offers Chamaraja ticket to Bhavani

The JD(S) is said to have offered an alternative to former minister H D Revanna’s wife Bhavani Revanna: the Chamaraja seat in Mysuru, instead of Hassan.

Some senior JD(S) leaders from Mysuru have invited Bhavani to contest from the Chamaraja constituency that BJP won in 2018.

Revanna and Bhavani have had their eyes set on Hassan, which is currently held by BJP’s Preetham J Gowda.

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According to the party leaders from Mysuru, the JD(S) can win if a winnable candidate is fielded. “Our candidate during the 2018 Assembly elections secured 19.41% votes, whereas the BJP candidate got 36.77% votes. Though we were in the third place, fielding a woman candidate like Bhavani Revanna will make a big difference,” a senior JD(S) leader explained.

According to sources, even JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda suggested the Chamaraja option. Apparently, the former prime minister has advised Bhavani to pick any seat other than Hassan. “As it is revealed in the internal survey that Bhavani will not win from Hassan, JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy is firm on not giving her a ticket. Even Gowda is aware of it and offered her the Kadur ticket. The final option is Chamaraja,” the source explained.

Gowda is likely to hold a meeting with Kumaraswamy and Revanna to discuss this further on Friday, sources said.