HASSAN: With the Lok Sabha elections nearing, JDS patriarch HD Deve Gowda, his sons -- former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and HD Revanna -- and grandson Prajwal Revanna on Wednesday tendered an apology to party workers and asked them to forgive them if they had committed any mistakes inadvertently.
Though the JDS-BJP alliance is yet to announce a candidate for the Hassan parliamentary constituency, Prajwal, who represents the seat now, will most likely contest from here. The Wednesday meeting was the official election campaign by the party. Congress has announced Shrayas Patel, the grandson of Congress leader and former minister late G Puttaswamy Gowda, as its candidate from the Hassan constituency, the bastion of JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda.
In his 35-minute emotional speech, Kumaraswamy urged the gathering to work for Prajwal. He told them not to punish the Gowda family by defeating Prajwal in Gowda’s hometown of Hassan.
He said BJP and JDS workers should put sincere efforts to retain the Hassan seat. “You should look at him as my son. This election is challenging, but a positive message should be sent out from here to the nation by electing him,” he added. JDS will have a good relationship with BJP till the other party has love and faith for JDS, he added. He lauded the NDA government, led by Prime minister Narendra Modi, for protecting the interests of minorities by releasing over Rs 200 crore grants for schools and hostels for minorities in the state.
He challenged Siddaramaiah to release the caste census and Jayaprakash commission reports. “Who has tied his hands,” he questioned.
The former chief minister said he has decided not to contest the parliamentary elections. Alleging a conspiracy to finish off JDS, the state party president said he will not allow JDS to die and will work to strengthen the party.