Revanna Prajwal will contest from Hassan: H D Deve Gowda

Bengaluru, Dec 31: Clearing the decks for a third-generation politician in the family, JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Saturday announced that grandson Prajwal Revanna would contest from Hassan constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Gowda said: “I have spoken to senior leaders of Hassan district. Prajwal has been working continuously for the past eight years in the district and has not gone anywhere else. I’ve decided to vacate the seat for Prajwal.”

Prajwal’s entry into politics, albeit delayed, had been a foregone conclusion over the past five years. His public display of anger against the JD(S) and his uncle and chief minister HD Kumaraswamy ahead of the 2018 Karnataka assembly elections, after he was denied a ticket, had triggered a bitter family dispute. However, Gowda had stood firm and calmed tempers after he assured Prajwal of the Hassan seat in the 2019 elections.

Gowda said the party is already in discussion with the Congress over-seat sharing not only in Karnataka but across the country. “After the winter session of the Parliament on January 8, both parties will discuss seat-sharing with AICC president Rahul Gandhi. I expect it to be finalised on or before January 15,” Gowda said.

He said the party is seeking 12 seats in Karnataka, apart from their national secretary Danish Ali planning to contest from Uttar Pradesh and a few other aspirants from Maharashtra. He added, “I’m yet to decide on contesting the 2019 elections, and if so, from where. For Mandya, which has delivered us eight seats, three MLCs and an MP, local leaders along with three ministers from the district will decide.”

Gowda dismissed talk of party state president AH Vishwanath planning to resign, citing lack of support in building the unit. “Due to problems in the coalition government over the past seven months, we couldn’t provide support to building the party. But Vishwanath has been touring the state for this. We’ve decided to appoint five working presidents. A final decision will be taken at a meeting of party legislators and office-bearers on January 3,” he said.