Old Hands, New Hassles

Poll arithmetic and nepotism charges queer the pitch for Gowda and Kharge.

- Prathima Nandakumar

In terms of experience and staying power, few politicians in India can match H.D. Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal (Secular) and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress. The stalwarts have been in electoral politics for around 50 years, and they are contesting the Lok Sabha elections together as part of the Congress-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka.

Gowda, 86, is contesting from Tumkur, having bequeathed his pocket borough (Hassan, from where he has won five times) to grandson Prajwal Revanna. The 77-year-old Kharge, whose lossless record includes eight assembly and two Lok Sabha wins, is now eyeing a hat-trick victory in Kalaburagi (Gulbarga).

Queering the pitch for them are political undercurrents and charges of nepotism. Gowda’s two grandsons—Nikhil, son of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, and Prajwal, son of Public Works Minister H.D. Revanna—are making their electoral debuts. Kharge’s son, Priyank, is social welfare minister in the Kumaraswamy cabinet.

A section of JD(S) leaders are unhappy over the Gowdas contesting from three of seven seats allotted to the party. The Congress is contesting from the remaining 21 seats in the state.

“This is an unabashed display of dynastic hegemony,” said political analyst Ravindra Reshme. “Deve Gowda is guilty of practising both caste and family politics. It is the decline of a great man, who has been indulging in compromise politics since 2004, when his party formed the government with the Congress.”

According to Reshme, the hostilities between the two allies are growing. While Gowda considers Tumkur a safe seat, the ground situation indicates that it would be no cakewalk.