Revanna: Bhavani to make debut in 2023

By Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: Former minister and Holenarasipur Janata Dal (Secular) MLA H.D. Revanna has confirmed the entry of his wife and former Hassan Zilla Panchayat member, Bhavani Revanna into state politics soon. According to him, it may not be a surprise if she contests the 2023 Assembly polls.

If it happens, Bhavani will become the sixth member from the family of former prime minister and JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda to enter politics. Her fatherin-law, Deve Gowda is a Rajya Sabha member, her husband, Revanna is MLA from Holenarasipur, elder son Prajwal Revanna is MP from Hassan, another son, Suraj Revanna is MLC from Hassan, her brother-in-law H.D.Kumaraswamy is MLA from Channapatna and her co-sister Anitha Kumaraswamy is MLA from Ramanagar. Another family member, Nikhil Kumaraswamy had contested from the Mandya Lok Sabha seat in 2019 but lost to Sumalatha Ambareesh by over 1.25 lakh votes.

Bhavani would have entered state politics earlier but was reportedly prevented by her father-in-law, Deve Gowda not only in the 2013 Assembly polls but also in 2018. She however made her debut in politics by easily getting elected to the Hass a n Z i l l a Panchayat but could not become ZP President due to change of the reservation matrix by the then Congress government headed by Siddaramaiah.

In fact, Bhavani would have contested from either K.R.Nagar in Mysuru or Hassan City in 2018 but then state JD(S) President H.D. Kumaraswamy shattered her dream saying that except for Anitha Kumaraswamy, no other family member would fight the election. Sitting KR Nagar MLA Sa. Ra. Mahesh had even agreed to vacate the seat for Bhavani but was convinced to contest.

Revanna’s statement that Bhavani would contest the MLA election and her constituency would be decided in the coming days came after a Hassan City BJP MLA Preetham Gowda virtually challenged Bhavani Akka or Revanna to contest from the constituency. Revanna has two choices-field her from Hassan City or from Arsikere where sitting JD(S) MLA, Shivalingegowda’s ties with Kumaraswamy have become strained after he gave the credit for his poll victory to Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siiddaramaiah, a bete noire of the Deve Gowda family.

The other seat she could contest from is KR Nagar. It is also learnt that Kumaraswamy may ask his sister-in-law Bhavani to test the waters from Chamundeshwari, presently represented by JD(S) MLA G.T.Deve Gowda who has already set one foot out of the party and is set to join the Congress.