Hassan: Minister for public works H.D. Revanna, who is drumming up support for his son, Prajwal, contesting from Hassan this Lok Sabha poll, met his long time rival, Congress leader B. Shivaram Tuesday morning to ask for his help in taking on Mr A. Manju of the BJP in the constituency.
Mr Prajwal, who accompanied his father, fell at Mr Shivaram’s feet to seek his support for the poll, which he willingly gave. To all intents and purposes, it appeared that the Congress leader had decided to set aside his past rivalry with Mr Revanna at least for the time being in the interest of the coalition government that the two are a part of currently. The two men have had a chequered history, having been at loggerheads for the last three decades in Hassan. When the two won the 2004 election from Hassan district and the Congress and JD(S) forged an alliance to form the government in the state, they competed to be made district in- charge minister of Hassan. But Mr H.D Kumaraswamy, who was CM then too, gave the post to his brother, Revanna and Mr Shivaram, had to be content with being in charge of Chikkamagaluru as minister for information. But apparently willing to let bygones be bygones, Mr Shivaram, when contacted, said he had asked the JD(S) leader to take all the local Congress party workers into confidence while campaigning for Prajwal. “I suggested this rapport with the party workers should not end with the completion of the LS poll and continue later too,” he added.
