JD(S) second list: HD Kumaraswamy gets his way as no ticket in Hassan to Bhavani Revanna

Bhavani Revanna snubbed

The Hassan seat had become a major bone of contention as Bhavani in January threw her hat into the ring.

Her announcement caused conflicts in the family fiefdom when she refused to relent till the last minute.

Bhavani was adamant on the Hassan seat, whose ambitions she has nursed for years now, despite her brother-in-law and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy repeatedly making it clear that she would not be fielded and, instead, a “loyal party worker” would get a ticket.

Bhavani Revanna, a former Hassan zilla panchayat member, is the wife of Kumaraswamy’s elder brother HD Revanna. She had the backing of her husband as well as her sons Prajwal Revanna, who is a Member of the Lok Sabha from Hassan, and Suraj Revanna, who is an MLC.

Announcing Swaroop’s name as Hassan candidate, Kumaraswamy flanked by his brother Revanna said, “The name has been finalised with the consent of Revanna and Bhavani, and the blessings of HD Deve Gowda.”

Also read: Bhavani Revanna declares herself candidate from Hassan

Other names on the list

The list, meanwhile, names HD Revanna as the party candidate for his incumbent seat of Holenarasipura.

Other names on it include KS Lingesh for Belur, HK Kumaraswamy for Sakleshpura, and CN Balakrishna for Shravanabelagola.

ಜಾತ್ಯತೀತ ಜನತಾದಳ ಪಕ್ಷದ ವಿಧಾನಸಭೆ ಚುನಾವಣೆಯ 2ನೇ ಪಟ್ಟಿಯನ್ನು ಮಾನ್ಯ ಮಾಜಿ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ಹೆಚ್ ಡಿ ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಅವರು, ಪಕ್ಷದ ರಾಜ್ಯಾಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ ಶ್ರೀ ಸಿಎಂ ಇಬ್ರಾಹಿಂ ಅವರು, ಮಾಜಿ ಸಚಿವರಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ಹೆಚ್ ಡಿ ರೇವಣ್ಣ ಅವರು ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಪಕ್ಷದ ನಾಯಕರುಗಳು ಜೆಡಿಎಸ್ ರಾಜ್ಯ ಕಚೇರಿ ಜೆಪಿ ಭವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂದು ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡಿದರು. pic.twitter.com/UDbTNoJGKf

— Janata Dal Secular (@JanataDal_S) April 14, 2023

YSV Datta, who had quit the JD(S) and joined the Congress, but returned to the party recently after being denied a ticket there, has been fielded from Kadur.

Datta is a staunch follower of HD Deve Gowda, but had joined the Congress because he was wary of the JD(S) denying him a ticket.

When the Congress decided to field someone else from Kadur, Datta returned to the JD(S), having been promised a ticket.

Former minister A Manju, who recently joined the party, has been fielded from Arakalagudu. He has previously been with both the Congress and the BJP.

JD(S) state president CM Ibrahim’s son CM Fayaz has been declared the candidate from Humnabad.

Late JD(S) leader and former MLA Appaji Gowda’s daughter Sharada Appaji Gowda has been announced as a candidate from Bhadravati.

Also read: AIMIM to field 25 candidates, eyes tie-up with JD(S)

The Kumaraswamy clan

In its first list of 93 candidates, the JD(S) announced a ticket to HD Kumarawamy’s son and actor-turned-politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy.

Kumaraswamy will contest once again from the Channapatna constituency, which neighbours the one allotted to his son.

In the 2018 Assembly polls, Kumaraswamy contested from both Ramanagara and Channapatna, polling 53.96 percent and 46.55 percent of the vote share, respectively.

Kumaraswamy retained the Channapatna seat and resigned from Ramanagara.

His wife Anitha Kumaraswamy was then elected from Ramanagara in a bypoll and is now stepping aside to make way for her son Nikhil.

Ramanagara is seen as a safe seat for the JD(S) and is meant to ensure Nikhil’s win as a legislator, especially after his debut in electoral politics — from the Mandya Lok Sabha seat in 2019 — ended in a debacle.

Also read: JD(S) aims to be kingmaker so HD Kumaraswamy can be ‘king’