JDS second list to be finalised by April 7, including contestant for Hassan seat, says Kumaraswamy

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday said the party's second list of candidates for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls, including for the contentious Hassan seat, will be finalised on April 7.

He expressed confidence about resolving the Hassan seat issue, stating that there are no problems.

"Pancharatna Yatre will travel about 105 km in villages across Periyapatna today. I will be visiting about 90 villages there, it will be late by the time I come back. After I'm back tomorrow, we will finalise the seats," Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Will decide including Hassan seat, there are no problems." Kumaraswamy had earlier said that the party will release the second list by Thursday and that list will have the name of the candidate for Hassan.

According to party sources, the second list was getting delayed mainly because of issues regarding Hassan ticket.

They said, party patriarch H D Deve Gowda, who was in Delhi, was to hold a meeting with sons Kumaraswamy and H D Revanna, and take a final call.

Differences within the family regarding the Hassan seat, which has become a bone of contention, as Bhavani Revanna, who has thrown her hat in the ring, has not relented, despite her brother in-law Kumaraswamy, repeatedly making it clear that she will not be fielded, and instead a "loyal party worker" will enter the fray.

Bhavani Revanna, a former Hassan zilla panchayat member, is the wife of Kumaraswamy's elder brother and former Minister H D Revanna and daughter-in-law of Gowda. She has the backing of her husband and sons- Prajwal and Suraj Revanna, who are Member of Lok Sabha from Hassan and a MLC respectively.

With signs of the Hassan ticket issue creating a rift within the family, Gowda, who has not been actively involved in political activities for some time now due to age-related ailment, on Sunday evening had held discussions with his two sons and Bhavani together, which had failed to break the deadlock.

Both Kumaraswamy and Revanna have maintained that Gowda's word will be final on the Hassan ticket issue.

JD(S) announced the first list of 93 candidates in December.