Hassan LS polls: grandsons join 4-decade-old political battle in ex-PM Deve Gowda's home turf

As the Lok Sabha elections loom over Karnataka’s Hassan constituency, a familiar feud reignites, spanning four decades and two influential families. The current contenders, Prajwal Revanna of the JD(S) and Shreyas Patel from the Congress, are the grandchildren of former political rivals: ex-Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and former minister G Puttaswamy Gowda.

Prajwal is seeking a second term. He stands as the sole JD(S) representative in the state, inheriting the Hassan seat from his grandfather in 2019.

On the opposing front, Shreyas Patel emerges as the Congress contender. His grandfather, Puttaswamy Gowda, who lost as an Independent candidate against Deve Gowda in 1985, dealt a severe political blow to the senior JD(S) leader by winning the seat in the 1989 assembly election and the 1999 Lok Sabha polls.

The battleground echoes with contrasting narratives. Prajwal touts his track record and strategic alliances, drawing parallels between PM Modi and his grandfather's leadership styles. Meanwhile, Shreyas Patel underscores grassroots issues and aims to capitalise on dissatisfaction with the incumbent.

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