It is all in the family for Deve Gowda

Dynasty politics gets stronger in Karnataka with Deve Gowda's 2 grandsons contesting elections.

During his previous speech in the Indian Parliament, former prime minister and Janata Dal (S) leader HD Deve Gowda said that would be his last speech in the Lok Sabha. He was mentioning about the possibility of not contesting the elections for one more time.
However, after the alliance between the Congress and the Janata Dal (S) was confirmed, Gowda made a dramatic announcement about fielding his grandson Prajwal Revanna from Hassan constituency, which he had represented since 1991. His tears while making the announcement went viral among both his supporters and opponents. 
Later, in Mandya, where deceased Congress leader and actor Ambareesh's wife Sumalata was hoping to contest from, his actor grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy became the candidate, which irked many local Congress leaders.
And the 86-year-old Deve Gowda later became a candidate in the Tumkur constituency, where Congress's Muddehanume Gowda had won the polls in 2014.
Even supporters of his party were not happy about the candidacy of the JD (S) national chief and his grandsons. The BJP mimicked the tears of Gowda as the "first drama of 2019 elections".
Though he defended his grandsons contesting the election, all the party workers and ally Congress are not much happy about that.
"There are many party workers who work hard for years in the grassroots level. We are not against Deve Gowda facing polls from any seat. But when his two sons are in the Cabinet with one heading it, his grandsons' candidacy wasn't a good decision," said a JD (S) worker in Tumkur.
The wives of two of his sons, Anitha Kumaraswamy (wife of chief minister HD Kumaraswamy) and Bhawani Revanna (wife of cabinet minister HD Revanna), became members of the legislative assembly. "There are murmurs against the dynasty politics followed by Deve Gowdaji among his own party workers.
Congress workers also have some reservations against this. However, that's not going to affect the poll results," said Ramakrishna, Congress district president in Tumkur.
Caste politics is something that decides the election results in Karnataka. In Tumkur, that is likely to play in favour of Deve Gowda. Though Muddehanume Gowda was reluctant to attend the campaign meetings for the JD (S) chief who took away his seat, the Congress leadership managed to pacify him. "It's true that Muddehanume Gowda was absent from a few campaign meetings initially. However, both of them represent Vokkaliga community, which has a major say in the election results here," Ramakrishna told Khaleej Times.
At all the election rallies, the octogenarian leader finds a point to defend himself against the allegations of dynasty politics. "It's people who decide whom to elect. Though my sons and grandsons contest polls, they win because people support him. I've given opportunities for many other leaders from my party. It's the Bharatiya Janata Party that is worried about my party having strong candidates," Gowda said in an election rally.
Not all the public think the Gowda way. "Elections are all about money. I'm in no way interested in the present polls. All the party leaders work for their family. Whether it's Deve Gowda or B.S. Yedyurappa (state BJP chief). So all I care about is making some money," said Raju, a tender coconut seller in Tumkur.
The JD (S) now defend itself with the candidacy of Yedyurappa's son B.Y Raghavendra, who was a member of the last parliament. Raghavendra is facing the JD (S) candidate Madhu Bangarappa, son of former Congress chief minister S Bengarappa, in Shimoga constituency.
Though his ally Congress has reservations about the way Deve Gowda handles politics as a family matter, it doesn't come out in public. The Opposition BJP, which considers Karnataka as its inroad to the south India, uses every opportunity to take a dig at the Janata Dal leader's dynasty politics and the "unholy alliance between Congress and JD (S)". Whether the voters will approve the "dynasty politics" of the octogenarian leader or will they raise a hand against it? Whatever they do, it will create a major impact in the politics of the state.
anuwarrier@khaleejtimes.com