Irked Gowda hints at action against Prajwal for 'suitcase' remark

A day after his grandson Prajwal Revanna said that ‘suitcase’ culture was prevalent in the JD(S), party national president H D Deve Gowda said he was extremely hurt by the remark and indicated that action will be taken against him for making such comments.

“As leader of the party, I will be failing in my duty if I do not take action against Prajwal. It is important that discipline is maintained to save the party,” Gowda told reporters in Bengaluru on Friday.

Participating in a JD(S) workers’ convention at Hunsur in Mysuru district on Thursday, Prajwal Revanna had openly criticised the party top leadership stating that people with wealth get front row seats in the JD(S), while those who are loyal to the party are assigned back seats.

Prajwal is said to be keen on contesting from Hunsur in the next Assembly elections and had been nurturing the constituency for some time now. However, he was upset after Gowda indicated that former Congress leader A H Vishwanath, who recently joined the JD(S), will contest from Hunsur. Prajwal’s outburst has also brought to the fore the internal squabbles within the Gowda family. Gowda said he had never indulged in ‘suitcase politics’.

“In fact, I have borrowed loans to meet the candidates’ expenses for elections...what he (Prajwal) has said will damage his own political prospects,” Gowda said.

Initially, the JD(S) leadership had decided that only two from the Gowda family — Kumaraswamy and Revanna — will contest the Assembly elections. However, following pressure from workers, it was decided that Anita (Kumaraswamy’s wife) and Prajwal will also be given an opportunity to contest. While Anita was sounded that she will contest from Channapatna, a constituency of her choice, Prajwal was told he will contest from a constituency in Bengaluru. This irked Prajwal, who is keen to contest from Hunsur.

“By making such comments, does Prajwal think he can get a ticket? I cannot let my family affairs result in the split of the party. If there is indiscipline, I will have to take action irrespective of whether he is my son or grandson,” Gowda said. He said Prajwal was politically ambitious but casting aspersions on his own party will take him nowhere.

In a related development, two rebel JD(S) MLAs — Zameer Ahmed Khan and H C Balakrishna — stated that there was truth in what Prajwal has said. “H D Kumaraswamy does not want any one else in his family to grow politically. It is Kumaraswamy who indulges in suitcase politics,” Khan said.

Balakrishna said the squabble in the Gowda family is bound to damage the image of the party. He said all seven rebels in the party will contest on the Congress ticket in the next Assembly elections.

 ‘Don’t attach importance to his remark’

MLA and JD(S) leader H D Revanna has said that there was no difference of opinion in the party and the statement of his son, Prajwal Revanna, on the JD(S) need not be given much importance, reports DHNS from Mysuru.

Speaking to reporters during his visit to Chamundi Hill in Mysuru on Friday, Revanna said that the members of Deve Gowda’s family will contest elections only with the consent of the former. He said that the sole aim of the party was to win Assembly elections and instal JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy as the chief minister. Prajwal had stated that people who bring suitcases were being preferred to loyal party workers in JD(S).

Addressing a press meet in Yadgir, JD(S) youth unit state president Madhu Bangarappa sought to downplay Prajwal’s statement. “There is no suitcase culture in JD(S). Prajwal has used the word while clarifying on some issue,” he said. He said that though there were some “mistakes” on the part of the JD(S) during the last elections, the party has never extended a red-carpet welcome to people who bring suitcase.