BJP displeasure over Hassan Lok Sabha seat out in open

NT Correspondent

Hassan / Bengaluru: The honeymoon period between the allies BJP and JD(S) appears to be coming to a close as frustrations over the Hassan Lok Sabha have spilled out into the public sphere.

BJP Karnataka general secretary and former Hassan MLA Preetham Gowda rebuffed JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy over the seat even as the latter tried to be forthcoming to the saffron party leader.

The two outfits are presently engaged in seat sharing talks at the “Delhi level” as per Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna is the sitting MP from Hassan. Meanwhile Mandya is represented by BJP-backed independent Sumalatha Ambareesh.

Prajwal is tipped to retain the chance to defend his seat while JD(S) state president HD Kumarswamy may be fielded from Mandya. JD(S) may get a maximum of four seats and the BJP might contest from the remaining 28 Lok Sabha constituencies.

However, Preetham Gowda, who had contested against Prajwal in 2019 and lost, is keen on Hassan again.

“We may field Preetham from Hassan constituency if he is interested in the seat. BJP and JD(S) should unite and fight the Lok Sabha elections together,” Kumaraswamy said, adding that Preetham was like his brother.

To this, Gowda suggested that he was still unhappy over JD(S) Hassan candidate HP Swaroop defeating him in last May’s Assembly polls.

“There is brotherhood in politics and he (Kumaraswamy) can talk to his brother (HD Revanna) if interested. Senior BJP leaders will decide whether I will contest or not,” he said.

However, Kumaraswamy was uncharacteristically forthcoming to Preetham during a visit to Hassan.

“Even now I look at him (Preetham) as my brother. We must unite and fight the Lok Sabha elections together. Preetham said nothing wrong,” he insisted.