Hassan ticket row: Family feud may benefit 'neutral' Raje Gowda

Raje Gowda said senior JDS leaders have asked him to remain prepared to contest from Hassan. However, a final decision is yet to be taken and discussions are still underway, he added.

As ticket distribution for the Hassan constituency continues to be a major bone of contention for H.D. Deve Gowda family, the JDS is said to be exploring the option of fielding a 'neutral' candidate there in the upcoming Assembly polls in Karnataka.

K.M. Raje Gowda, a senior party worker, is said to be the front runner and one round of discussions has already taken place to field him as the JDS candidate from Hassan. Raje Gowda had contested twice on a Congress ticket and lost. In 2013 and 2018, Raje Gowda was a ticket aspirant but did not get the ticket.

The development comes as sharp differences erupted between two camps within the family over it. One camp is pitching for Bhavani, wife of former Prime Minister and party patriarch Deve Gowda's elder son H.D. Revanna, while the other camp, led by his younger son and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, is backing H.P. Swaroop, son of former MLA late H.S. Prakash.

While Bhavani, a former Zilla Panchayat member, is keen on contesting from Hassan on a JDS ticket, Kumaraswamy is in favour of fielding Swaroop, a former vice-president of Hassan Zilla Panchayat. During the meeting with Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy made his stand clear about fielding Swaroop. He is said to have warned his father that if the party denied a ticket to Swaroop, the party would lose one seat.

The difference of opinion between the two brothers led to utter confusion among the party workers, hence the decision to field a neutral candidate. According to reports, Deve Gowda has already spoken to Raje Gowda and asked him to remain prepared to contest the election.

Speaking to the media, Raje Gowda said that senior party leaders have spoken to him in this regard and have asked to be ready to contest polls. However, he also said that a final decision is yet to be taken and discussions are still underway.

''Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy and Revanna have spoken to me. They asked my opinion on contesting polls. I have told them that if their family is ready to support, I am ready to contest. Revanna has told me that if the party decides to field me, then his wife Bhavani is ready to sacrifice. Deve Gowda has told me to be ready,'' Raje Gowda said.

The importance of Hassan constituency is that it is the home district of Deve Gowda. In the 2018 polls, the party had won in six out of seven segments. However, it lost the Hassan seat to BJP's Preetham Gowda, making it the first ever win for the saffron party in the Vokkaliga-dominated district.