Deve Gowda family in crisis; faces challenge from DK Shivakumar's onslaught

Internal rumblings and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar pose a major challenge to JD(S) founder and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda’s dreams of securing a political base for the family’s third generation.

A towering figure in Karnataka politics, Deve Gowda successfully built a political dynasty with his two sons, HD Kumaraswamy, a former chief minister and now a Central minister, and HD Revanna.

The siblings have dominated Karnataka politics in varying degrees and taken forward their father’s legacy, albeit not in the same qualitative fashion.

Rivalries in Deve Gowda family

But Deve Gowda’s efforts to establish his grandsons as prominent leaders in Karnataka have largely faltered, revealing cracks in the family's stronghold and casting doubt on the future of the third generation.

The challenges have come from multiple fronts, severely impacting the political prospects of the grandsons.

Internal rivalries between Kumaraswamy and Revanna for political dominance have further destabilized their own sons, with disagreements over candidate selection and strategy hampering their political progress.

Failures of third generation

Additionally, the third generation’s failure to connect with voters, compounded by accusations of entitlement and lack of grassroots network, has further alienated the electorate. The issue has again taken centre-stage after Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy was defeated in the recent Assembly by-elections. The family had planned to make him the JD(S) state president after the elections.

The failures of the third generation have exposed vulnerabilities in the JD(S) leadership structure, with internal dissent and public criticism mounting against the family’s dominance.

Sex scandal

Revanna’s now disgraced elder son Prajwal Revanna marked a rare victory for the third generation by securing the Hassan Lok Sabha seat in 2019.

The win was a strategic move by Deve Gowda, who ceded his traditional Hassan constituency to his grandson. But Prajwal’s success was short-lived.

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By 2024, Prajwal was embroiled in a massive sex scandal that tarnished his and his family’s reputation. The controversy deepened as explicit videos surfaced, leading to public disgust and legal troubles.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha battle, Prajwal lost his Hassan seat, a significant blow to the family’s political standing in a stronghold. He is now in jail and is awaiting bail, further stalling his political career.

Revanna’s younger son, Dr Suraj Revanna, also entered politics, becoming a member of the legislative council. He too became entangled in another sex scandal.

While Suraj managed to secure release in the case, his public image suffered an irreparable damage. He is now politically inactive, struggling to rebuild his reputation and credibility.

Repeated election failures

Deve Gowda’s other grandson, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, has faced repeated electoral failures despite significant backing from the family.

His political journey began with his candidacy for the Mandya Lok Sabha seat in 2019. Despite a high-profile campaign by Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda, he lost to an independent candidate. It was a humiliating defeat.

In the 2023 Assembly elections, Nikhil contested from Ramnagara but lost again, to the Congress. The 2024 by-election in Channapattana was seen as a make-or-break opportunity but this too ended in defeat,

JD(S) in serious trouble

The current situation in the Janata Dal (Secular) is serious, marked by scandals and challenges to the family’s dominance.

The political scenario seems to be against Deve Gowda’s third generation in politics, political analyst Belaguru Samiualla told The Federal.

Shivakumar, also the Karnataka Congress president, has emerged as a strong Vokkaliga leader, directly challenging the political dominance of the Deve Gowda family. Dewe Gowda too is also from the Vokkaliga community.

Aggressive Shivakumar

Shivakumar’s growing influence in Old Mysore has coincided with the decline of the JD(S)'s third-generation leaders, particularly in Hassan, Ramanagara and Channapatna, the party’s traditional strongholds.

Shivakumar played a strategic role in the key Congress victories over the Gowda family. In 2024, Congress candidate Shreyas Patel defeated Prajwal Revanna in Hassan, ending JD(S)'s decades-long hold over the Lok Sabha seat.

Shivakumar also ensured the defeats for Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Ramanagara (2023) and Channapatna (2024) by backing strong candidates like HA Iqbal Hussain and CP Yogeshwar.

Brothers in conflict

These actions were seen as retaliation, especially after Deve Gowda’s son-in-law, Dr. CN Manjunath, defeated Shivakumar’s brother DK Suresh in Bengaluru Rural in 2024.

Shivakumar’s retaliatory moves have significantly weakened the JD(S)'s influence in the region.

Within the Gowda family, HD Kumaraswamy traditionally manages Ramanagara and Channapatna while his brother Revanna oversees Hassan. However, tensions between their families have frequently surfaced.

Anger among Vokkaliga supporters

In 2019, Revanna’s son Prajwal Revanna contested from Hassan, the family’s stronghold, while Deve Gowda himself contested unsuccessfully from Tumkur. Later, Kumaraswamy's family pushed for Nikhil's candidacy in Mandya.

Kumaraswamy’s ambition to project Nikhil as a future Vokkaliga leader of Old Mysore and the JD(S) has faltered. With no family member gaining sustained success, the political dominance of the Gowda family looks increasingly fragile.

The party’s over-reliance on the Dewe Gowda family has alienated Vokkaliga leaders and workers. Many feel the JD(S) is neglecting deserving party workers and leaders outside the family.

Party leader laments

Nikhil, who lost two elections previously, was given yet another chance to contest from Channapattana. This caused resentment among party members, who believe a party worker must have been the candidate.

Prominent JD(S) leaders, including GT Deve Gowda, criticized Kumaraswamy’s decisions after the latest election loss.

GT Deve Gowda remarked in disgust: “Kumaraswamy is destroying the party built by HD Deve Gowda. The JD(S) is surviving only by God’s grace.”

Family mess

Deve Gowda, a Vokkaliga icon and a source of pride for Kannadigas as India’s former prime minister, is now a lesser-known figure among the younger generation, the Vokkaligas included.

Political commentator C Rudrappa remarked that the third generation of the Gowda family has failed to uphold the senior Gowda’s legacy.

“Prajwal, despite showing grassroots connections, was tarnished by scandals that damaged his credibility. Nikhil has fallen short of family expectations due to his lack of connection with the party base and the community,” he noted.