Congress neta blames H D Revanna, Preetham for party's debacle in Hassan

Hassan: After the drubbing it received in the Assembly elections in Hassan, where it lost all seven seats, the Congress has shown no sign of recovery, repeating its dismal performance in the recent Urban Local Bodies (ULB) in the district. The party won only two of the 35 seats in the Hassan City Municipal Council (CMC), one seat in the Arasikere Town Municipal Council and was washed out in Holenarisipur, where JD(S) candidates won all 23 seats. In Sakleshpura, the Congress won four seats and there was some consolation for the party in Channarayapatna, where it won eight of the 23 seats.

But seemingly unperturbed by the results, District Congress president Javagal Manjunath blames the party’s poor showing on the clout that JD(S) MLA and district in-charge minister H.D. Revanna enjoys in the district and the fact that BJP’s Preetham Gowda represents Hassan in the assembly. “We will discuss ways to revive the party in Hassan,” he says, adding that with the Congress and JD(S) being in alliance in the state government, he hopes they will arrive at an arrangement to ensure the party’s win from Hassan in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

“As JD(S) MLA Revanna has been made district in-charge minister of Hassan in the coalition government, it would be natural for the Congress party to stake its claim to it for the Lok Sabha,” he argues. But former councillor, Mujahid Pasha blames the party’s sudden decision to change the block Congress president for its loss in Holenarsipura, and another senior partyman rues that Congress leaders lack coordination. Also, there are rumours that some Congress candidates entered into a secret understanding with the JD(S) and deliberately lost the ULB elections here.