Kumaraswamy calls meeting to end suspense over Hassan JD(S) candidate

I have already said that I will field a normal party worker in Hassan and will defeat the BJP candidate, I'm still committed to that stand, HDK said

A day ahead of a crucial meeting of party leaders and workers to put an end to suspense over the JD(S) candidate for the Hassan Assembly segment, from where his sister-in-law Bhavani Revanna is an aspirant, party leader H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday reiterated his intention to field a normal party worker from there.

He, however, said he will take a final decision on the candidacy, after gathering opinion from party leaders and workers from Hassan, on the ground realities and the situation. "I have already said that I will field a normal party worker in Hassan and will defeat the BJP candidate, I'm still committed to that stand...I will take a decision that will ensure that there is no breach in the public goodwill towards this party," Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters , he said he has called a meeting of senior party leaders and workers tomorrow evening in Bengaluru, where an opportunity will be given to openly discuss the ground realities and situation in the constituency. "Revanna and the other aspirant Swaroop will not be invited for tomorrow's meeting, I have invited all like-minded party workers and leaders, based on the opinion of the party leaders and workers, I will decide," he added.

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The ticket for the Hassan constituency has turned out to be a major bone of contention, as Bhavani Revanna, who had thrown her hat in the ring, has not relented, despite JD(S) legislature party leader and her brother-in-law Kumaraswamy, making it clear that she will not be fielded. Bhavani Revanna, a former Hassan zilla panchayat member, is the wife of Kumaraswamy's elder brother and former Minister H D Revanna, and daughter-in-law of party patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.

She seems to have found support from her husband and sons Prajwal and Suraj Revanna, who are Hassan MP and a MLC respectively. However, they have not publicly differed with Kumaraswamy's stand.

Noting that daily media hype regarding the Hassan ticket has caused curiosity among the people regarding the constituency on whether a normal party worker or Deve Gowda's family member will be the candidate from the seat, Kumaraswamy said, for him loyal workers of the party are all his family members. Strengthening the party organisation and workers is important, he said, "whenever there were no candidates, members of Gowda family have contested from certain important seats, but here workers have the strength there (in Hassan)."

In what is seen as a move signaling that Bhavani will not give up her candidacy for Hassan seat, she, Revanna and Prajwal are involved in brisk campaigning across the constituency. On the other hand, another ticket aspirant H P Swaroop, a former ZP member and son of ex-MLA H S Prakash, whom Kumaraswamy wants to field, too has started campaigning in Hassan.

It had all started with Bhavani recently, publicly claiming that her name had been finalised by the party for the Hassan seat and a formal announcement will be made soon, to which Kumaraswamy had said that her contest was not necessary as the party has a capable candidate in the constituency. In the 2018 Assembly polls, JD(S) had won in six out of seven segments in the Hassan district, which is the home district of Deve Gowda, other than Hassan Assembly segment.

The Hassan Assembly seat was won by BJP's Preetham Gowda, making it the first ever win for the saffron party in the Vokkaliga dominated region.