The issue of the supply of water to Tumakuru from the river Hemavathi which has a reservoir in Gorur of Hasssan district might give HD Deve Gowda sleepless nights. He has been alleged of working against the interests of Tumakuru people, by not allowing them to get their full quota of the water from the reservoir
Bangalore: Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda filed his nomination for the Lok Sabha polls from the Tumakuru constituency. The nomination was mired in controversy as rebel Congress leader Muddahanumegowda too filed his papers, but later withdrew, after being successfully convinced by former CM Siddaramaiah and KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao.
But even after Muddahanumegowda’s withdrawal, Deve Gowda will certainly find the going tough. That is because of the issue of the Hemavathi river.
The river Hemavathi starts in the Western Ghats, flows through Hassan, Mandya and then joins the river Kaveri. It has a reservoir in Goruru, Hassan district and can store 36 tmcft of water.
Tumakuru gets its water from the Tumakuru Branch canal while Mandya gets its water from the Nagamangala Branch canal. It is alleged that Deve Gowda, hailing from Hassan, has ensured that these districts of Tumakuru and Mandya have not received their full quota of water from the river Hemavathi.
Now, as Deve Gowda visits households to seek votes in Tumakuru, it is implicit that that the people of the constituency will ask him some really uncomfortable and tough questions relating to the water supply.
And, adding to his cup of woes is the fact that his own grandsons Prajwal Revanna and Nikhil Kumaraswamy are contesting from Hassan and Mandya respectively. Deve Gowda has to convince the voters of Tumakuru that he will work in their interests even though his grandsons are on the opposite side. In simple words, it might lead to conflicts.
“This looks like a Battle of Waterloo for Deve Gowda. The point is that he forcefully took Tumakuru because JD(S) has done well there. It looks very odd. If Congress and JD(S) were true friends, they would not have encroached upon the seat of another. He is not in a position to answer people on the issue of river Hemavathi. He has to struggle to create an image in the next 10 days which looks pretty difficult,” says Shreenath Sheshadri, a BJP spokesperson.
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