A few supporters of former BJP MLA Preetham Gowda are said to have announced support for Congress candidate Shreyas Patel in the Lok Sabha elections.
Uddur Purushothham, who until recently identified with Preetham Gowda, is said to have decided to support Mr. Patel. He and his supporters met the Congress candidate. A photo in which Uddur Purushothham is seen greeting the Congress candidate has gone viral on social media platforms.
However, Mr. Gowda, who is in Mysuru, told the media that none of his associates had announced support for the Congress candidate and he would meet them all on Ugadi in Hassan. “We will do everything required to get the NDA candidate elected in Hassan,” he said.
“Holenarasipur constituency is represented by H.D. Revanna, father of the NDA candidate. It is my responsibility to ensure his vote margin in Hassan is higher, at least by one vote, than that of Holenarasipur,” he said. Prajwal Revanna is expected to meet Mr. Preetham in Hassan on Tuesday and seek his support.
Past rivalry
According to sources in the BJP, a few workers identified with the party, have personal reasons not to support the JD(S) candidate, Mr. Prajwal Revanna. In the Assembly elections held last year, workers of the JD(S) and BJP fought against each other. The rivalry continued even after the elections. It is said, many have been facing police cases because of political reasons. “Even if the party instructs them to work for the JD(S) candidate, they are not in a mood to follow it,” said a BJP worker.
