Bhavani from Holenarasipur? Revanna may shift to Hassan City

Shyam Sundar Vattam I NT

Mysuru: Former minister and senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader, H.D.Revanna has plans to look for a safe constituency in Hassan district and field his wife, Bhavani from Holenarasipur Constituency which is currently represented by him.

While State JD(S) President C.M. Ibrahim has released the first list of probable candidates for around 100 constituencies, he has not touched on Hassan district where Revanna holds sway. It has already been decided that Bhavani Revanna, daughter-in-law of former PM and JD(S) supremo, H.D.Deve Gowda will contest the Assembly elections and so Revanna has to leave his constituency to ensure his wife’s victory.

Bhavani is not new to politics as she had been a member of Hassan Zilla Panchayat a few years ago. Rumors were agog that she will contest the 2018 Assembly polls but then JDS President H.D. Kumaraswamy did not allow another member of the family to enter politics.

Now, Bhavani wants to test the waters in the 2023 Assembly polls. Her first son is a Lok Sabha member from Hassan, and another son, Suraj Revanna is a member of the State Legislative Council while her husband is MLA from Holenarasipur.

In fact, Bhavani was supposed to contest from Hassan City constituency currently represented by Preetham Gowda of the BJP, but the idea was dropped after seeing voters’ mood towards the saffron party and the individual charisma of Preetham.

Revanna can either contest from Hassan City against Preetham Gowda or test his luck from Arasikere, currently represented by K.Shivalinge Gowda of JD(S) who is likely to join the Congress Party. It will be risky for Revanna in Arasikere which is a new constituency for him. But he may be prepared to take the risk in Hassan and fight Preetham Gowda, said sources.

According to JD(S) sources, Revanna does not want Bhavani to lose her first Assembly election for which he is doing the groundwork now. A clear picture of the constituencies where Revanna and his wife are likely to contest will be decided in the next couple of weeks