Preetham Gowda, a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from the Hassan assembly constituency, famously wrested the seat from the Janata Dal Secular (JDS) in 2018. Hassan is the political fortress of JDS chief Deve Gowda’s family and Preetham’s win was considered a major debacle. However, the JDS managed to regain the seat in the May assembly polls.
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Now, the BJP and JDS have come to a pact to fight unitedly in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in 2024.
In an exclusive interview to News18, Preetham Gowda elaborated on the alliance and the choice of candidate for the JDS-dismantled Hassan Lok Sabha seat, which has been reserved for the Deve Gowda family for decades.
Edited excerpts:
The BJP and JDS have gotten into an alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Deve Gowda’s son HD Kumaraswamy called this an “unnatural alliance”, as the Congress and JDS were natural allies of sorts. Is it uncomfortable for BJP leaders as the ideologies of both the parties do not match?
When the JDS made up its mind to join the BJP as a ‘natural alliance’, it should also be ready to align with our ideology. It will not bode well with the public that they maintain a stand that they have a different ideology from the BJP, but are in alliance with them. It is natural that the JDS will take some time. I will take it a step ahead and say they will align with nationalism and patriotism while leaving behind their legacy of dynastic politics. Look at it as a way of getting out of the family dynasty cult and re-route into politics of service to the people.
Hassan is known to be the stronghold of the Gowda family, a seat which you contested and won in the 2019 elections. How will the candidate be chosen from Hassan? The BJP and JDS were fighting tooth and nail, and now you have to come to a consensus on who the LS ticket will go to…
Hassan used to be a stronghold of the JDS, now it is not. That is why the JDS has come to form an alliance with us. If they had a strong hold over Hassan or the Old Mysore region, do you think they would have aligned with the BJP? That is not the case. However, now it is evenly balanced. The BJP is as powerful as the JDS in the Old Mysore region. The JDS may need some of our force to establish themselves in the Old Mysore region, and probably we would need some help from them, I am not denying that fact. At this juncture, the JDS needs the BJP because it is no more their bastion.
What about the choice of candidate, as usually it is a member from the Deve Gowda family who contests from the Hassan Lok Sabha seat. Will that be acceptable to the BJP?
It is not about accepting or denying. It will be a joint decision and it will be taken when the time comes. It will definitely not be taken unilaterally or by a family member. This reflected in the mood of the people of Hassan district as well. It all boils down to winning elections, and there is an expectation of the people here that a ‘common man’ must contest on a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ticket from this seat. The ticket may be given to a JDS or a BJP candidate.
They (JDS) will not have a free hand or the luxury to decide on every issue on their own in their kitchen. It will definitely be a democratic decision which will be openly debated by both sides…There should not be a situation where they impose the name of a candidate and expect the BJP karyakartas to work. It will be a very difficult situation.
What about the party workers of both the BJP and JDS, who were recently against each other in a tough contest and are now forced to work as one team. Won’t they feel suffocated or distressed?
It is quite natural to feel so as a party that the BJP karyakartas recently fought against is now their ally for the Lok Sabha elections. But this is for the greater cause of serving the nation. We need to make small sacrifices. It is like the JDS has come as a guest to the NDA fold and we wholeheartedly welcome them. Having said that, I would also like to tell them that they would also need to adjust to the BJP’s agenda of patriotism and ensure that Narendra Modiji is elected as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time. They (JDS) will need to make sacrifices to achieve this goal, which includes keeping aside their family-driven politics. They will not have a free hand or the luxury to decide on every issue on their own in their kitchen. It will definitely be a democratic decision which will be openly debated by both sides.
Is there a chance that the JDS would be a part of the BJP fold?
The JDS is already a part of the BJP and the NDA. In the coming days, if they feel the need to merge with the BJP, who is to stop them? The chances are higher.
In the present scenario, will you or the BJP be working in favour of the JDS in Hassan to help them win an election in this seat?
It is not arrogance. But without the support of the BJP and Preetham Gowda, winning the Lok Sabha seat will not be easy for any ordinary karyakarta, who is picked by the NDA. They (JDS) should take all BJP karyakartas into confidence. There should not be a situation where they impose the name of a candidate and expect the BJP karyakartas to work. It will be a very difficult situation.
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I am confident that the BJP leadership will consult with the party workers who have worked very hard. The JDS has also seen the strength and power the BJP has acquired with the sheer hard work of its party workers. This is why the JDS is kneeling down to this alliance. I will also apprise my leaders in Delhi and Bengaluru of the ground situation.
When Kumaraswamy was offered the CM post for the remaining three-four years in 2019, he refused the offer saying he wanted to stick with the Congress coalition. Kumaraswamy has come to the BJP because of the jolt he faced in the Old Mysore region, mainly from Hassan. We will ensure that the efforts of the BJP karyakartas don’t go to waste.