For Bhavani, the cheering must have caused a flutter as she only just announced herself as a JD(S) candidate for the upcoming assembly elections – an announcement that came as a shock to the JD(S) leadership. A few days ago, she publicly claimed the party leaders had decided to back her and nominate her as the candidate for Hassan assembly constituency.
After having worked closely with the people of Hassan, the home district of her husband and father-in-law HD Deve Gowda, she finally decided to throw her hat in the ring. Bhavani had been waiting in the trenches for decades, waiting to strike when she saw a chance to make a full-fledged debut in state politics as an MLA.
One of the most politically influential women, she has been a former zilla panchayat member in Hassan and was chairperson of ZP education committee when Hassan district, for the first time, topped the SSLC board examinations. As one local JDS leader put it: “She is the one who gets the work done. The party workers know that when she makes a promise, she pursues it till it’s done. Not a leaf can flutter without her knowledge.”
Soon after her announcement, cracks in the Deve Gowda family and the JD(S) came to the fore with brother-in-law Kumaraswamy saying “the need for Bhavani Revanna to contest from Hassan has not arisen”.
“If it was necessary for Bhavani Revanna to contest, I would have fielded her myself. I don’t see it necessary today, because we already have a capable candidate there (Hassan),” Kumaraswamy said soon after her announcement, which is being seen an open snub in political circles.
Kumaraswamy was referring to HP Swaroop, a strong contender for the Hassan seat and son of a four-time JD(S) MLA from Hassan, the late HS Prakash. As of now, the party has announced a list of 93 candidates for the polls but is yet to finalise one for the Hassan constituency.
Bhavani, meanwhile, decided to react to Kumaraswamy’s statement with a “let’s see what happens”. A party insider told News18 that Kumaraswamy’s wife Anitha Kumaraswamy, who is the sitting MLA from Ramanagara assembly segment, had told Swaroop that it was confirmed that only he will get the Hassan ticket. Anitha was visiting Hasanamba temple in Hassan during Diwali when the exchange happened, it is being said.
Soon after these developments, Swaroop reacted saying it had created confusion among party workers in the region. He further said he will abide by the party’s decision and will even work for Bhavani if she gets the ticket.
“But I’m saying let the ticket be officially declared… Even though I am a ticket aspirant, I will abide by the final decision taken by Deve Gowda and other leaders,” Swaroop told media persons on Thursday.
Who is Bhavani Revanna?
Deve Gowda’s bahu, who has been making headlines in Karnataka, was born into a humble agricultural family from Saligrama village of Mysuru district. She was married to HD Revanna, former prime minister Deve Gowda’s second son. They have two sons – Suraj Revanna who is an MLC, and Prajwal Revanna, who is the Hassan MP.
According to her supporters and admirers, Bhavani has been one of the main pillars of the Deve Gowda family home. She has been known to take care of the household with close proximity to political stalwarts like Deve Gowda.
“She is a sharp and tenacious woman. She is known to have a generous heart and takes good care of her family. She is close to the JD(S) chief and they share an affectionate father-daughter-in-law relationship and, often, Doddavaru (as Deve Gowda is referred to) listens to what she has to say,” said another JD(S) leader from Hassan, who did not want to be named.
The JD(S) workers have often found Bhavani to be accessible when they want to get any work done in the district, especially when her husband, who is an MLA from Hassan’s Holenarsipura, and Deve Gowda (who until recently represented the Hassan Lok Sabha seat) are travelling. Over the years, her political acumen has sharpened and she has also begun to dabble in local politics.
The Gowda clan has representation in all four major houses of public representatives – Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, legislative assembly, and legislative council – with seven family members in active politics. This includes Deve Gowda himself, sons HD Revanna and HD Kumaraswamy, daughter-in-law Anitha Kumaraswamy, grandsons Prajwal and Suraj Revanna. Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the third grandson contested the Mandya seat in the 2019 polls but lost to the independent candidate and famed actor Sumalatha Ambareesh.
Bhavani pushed her political ambitions more vigorously when Anitha Kumaraswamy got a JD(S) ticket from Madhugiri in 2008. No political greenhorn, she has been often praised for her fine sense of political understanding and determination to build her support base ground up. Just like her husband Revanna, she started from the grassroots, contested the zilla parishad elections in 2016 and won.
Known to be ambitious, Bhavani had earlier expressed her desire to foray into state electoral politics with senior Gowda, but it was in vain. Insiders said though she was keen on contesting from seats such as KR Nagar assembly constituency in Mysuru, KR Pete assembly segment in Mandya, and Belur seat in Hassan, each time she was asked to step back with the advice that if one more Gowda enters the political arena, the JD(S) will be criticised as being family-run.
“She missed her chance twice to contest for an MLA seat. There was a good chance for her to contest from the Belur assembly segment and she would have won handsomely. But the family put pressure on her to refrain from doing so,” a leader said.
When Nikhil Kumaraswamy was nominated by the party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a resolute Bhavani decided to seek a seat each for her sons – Suraj and Prajwal. It was at this time that Deve Gowda gave his Hassan Lok Sabha seat to Prajwal and decided to contest from Tumakuru; he unfortunately lost the election but was later nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka.
Why did Kumaraswamy say it is not the right time for Bhavani?
To combat rumours of growing family tensions, Kumaraswamy, while speaking at a public function at Lingsugur constituency in North Karnataka, went on to elaborate why he thought it was not the right time for Bhavani to contest.
He said as of now an “ordinary party worker” was enough to defeat the incumbent BJP legislator in Hassan, Preetham Gowda. He further said there was “no question of a family dispute and the issue will be resolved without any dispute in the family”.
TA Sharavana, MLC and deputy leader of the JD(S) in the upper house of the state legislature, told News18 that when it comes to Hassan, the party chief Deve Gowda and leaders will take Revanna into confidence before a decision is made.
“Kumaraswamy wants the best for the JD(S) and so has left the decision on Hassan to Deve Gowda. Whether it should be given to Bhavani or a party worker, will be discussed and debated on the JD(S) party platform with all leaders. The parliamentary board and core committee will take a final decision,” he added.
Meanwhile, Prajwal Revanna has said that the decision of party ticket is decided by ‘Dodda Gowdru’.
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