The tough fight 31-year-old Shreyas M. Patel gave to senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Revanna in Holenarsipur constituency in the Assembly election last year is what is said to have clinched the Congress ticket for him to contest the Lok Sabha election from Hassan. The Congress announced its first list of candidates on Friday. Mr. Patel is likely to be pitted against incumbent JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna (whose name is yet to be announced as the NDA candidate) and the duel will be the latest in the four-decade-long feud between two politically opposing families.
Mr. Patel, grandson of the former Minister late G. Puttaswamy Gowda, lost the Holenarsipur seat by a thin margin of 3,152 votes against the former Minister and five-time MLA Mr. Revanna, son of the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. Though Mr. Revanna won the election, analysts of Hassan’s political events, termed it “practically a defeat”, given the margin.
Mr. Patel’s valiant fight impressed many workers and leaders of the party. Among other aspirants, including the former Minister B. Shivaramu, the former MLC M.A. Gopalswamy, and party leader B.P. Manje Gowda, Mr. Patel got the chance this time.
