The recent comments of 23-year-old Prajwal Revanna, son of Janata Dal (Secular) legislature party leader H.D. Revanna, who does not hold any position in the party, have disturbed 62-year-old senior politician and the former Rajya Sabha member H.K. Javare Gowda, who was earlier assured of the party’s ticket from Belur constituency.
JD(S) national president H.D. Deve Gowda and his son, Revanna, on many occasions in Hassan, had said the party would field Mr. Javare Gowda from Belur. So, Mr. Javare Gowda had begun preparing the ground in the constituency soon after 2008 elections. He suffered a jolt a few months ago when Ms. Bhavani, Mr. Revanna’s wife, told a section of the media that people from Belur were forcing her to contest from the constituency.
Mr. Deve Gowda and Mr. Revanna clarified through the media that no new family member would contest the Assembly elections. However, Mr. Prajwal visited parts of Belur constituency several times during which time he held meetings with party workers. Though Mr. Prajwal Revanna does not hold any official position in the party’s youth wing, party workers referred to him as the “leader of the youth wing”. He becomes the “centre of attraction” whenever a meeting is held in Belur constituency limits. He also actively campaigned for the JD(S) candidates in the recently concluded urban local body elections.
Mr. Prajwal said at a party workers’ meeting in Belur on Tuesday that the party had not yet decided on a candidate for Belur. “We will field a candidate, a native of Belur,” he said conveying a message that he was also part of the “We”, which decides the party’s candidates. By stating that the party would field a native of Belur, he made it clear he was opposed to fielding Mr. Javare Gowda, who is a native of Holenarsipur and resident of Hassan town.
According to party sources, Mr. Prajwal is in favour of fielding the former Belur town municipal council president B.C. Manjunath. However, it is not clear if Mr. Prajwal’s parents are influencing him to make such statements.
It is not clear whether Mr. Prajwal will succeed in fielding a candidate of his choice in Belur, but he has succeeded in disturbing Mr. Javare Gowda. Though Mr. Javare Gowda is confident that Mr. Deve Gowda would not deny him ticket, he said, “These developments are unwarranted. Mr. Revanna, leader of the party, should respond to these developments”.
Expectations
Mr. Javare Gowda, who is also the president of the party’s district wing, said that the party was in the third position in the 2008 Assembly elections in Belur. He took charge of the constituency and succeeded in securing the highest number of votes in the constituency for the JD(S) in 2009, when Mr. Deve Gowda contested for the Lok Sabha poll. “I am still confident that Mr. Deve Gowda will not deny me ticket. However, if at all I am denied a ticket, I will resign from active politics”, Mr. Javare Gowda said.
