S. A. Hemanth
Bengaluru, April 3: It was a hardball play in the state’s first family. The question was who will blink first – H. D. Kumaraswamy or H. D. Revanna. Ultimately, the ball was sent to the court of the party’s and family’s supremo – H. D. Deve Gowda. Kumaraswamy played his cards well and finally his words prevailed. “Bhabhi will not get ticket from Hassan. An ordinary grass-root worker will contest,” Kumaraswamy told his father as well as his elder brother, without looking at his bhabhi.
Sad-looking Bhavani Revanna left her father-in-law’s Padmanabhanagar residence, without talking to the waiting media. After 20-minutes, Revanna too left, without talking to the media. “Doddavaru (elder person) will speak to you,” Revanna told the media and walked slowly towards his car. His heavy walk and body language said it all – he could not convince his father and his younger brother to give ticket to his wife from Hassan.
After the couple left, Kumaraswamy was closeted with his father and discussed the future campaign plan. Kumaraswamy had been telling that one Swaroop, an ordinary worker who has been working in Hassan for almost two years should be given ticket.
Kumaraswamy is pragmatic. Hassan has always elected a Vokkaliga belonging to Dasa Vokkaliga sub-sect. Be it K.H. Hanume Gowda or P. S. Prakash or the present sitting MLA Preetham Gowda – all belong to Dasa Vokkaliga sub-sect. This sub-sect does not entertain any other sub-sect, no matter how powerful he or she is.
Having got married to Deve Gowda family – Gangatkar Sub-Sect – Bhavani has become a member of the Gangtkar sub-sect. Kumaraswamy’s worry is simple and genuine – what if the Dasa Vokkaliga people of Hassan defeats Bhavani Revanna, a Gangatkar.
“If Bhavani is defeated, then it is going to be a big slap on the face of family as well as the party,” Kumaraswamy told his father without mincing words and in categorical terms. That clinched the issue in Kumaraswamy’s favour. Deve Gowda, whose love for his elder son Revanna, is well-known, however, had to go by the sane and logical words of Kumaraswamy. Bhavani’s fate was, thus, sealed.
EOM
