HASSAN : It was a family get-together for the the JD(S) top brass on their home turf. JD(S) supremo H D
Deve Gowda and both his sons, H D Kumaraswamy and H D Revanna, addressed an election meeting on a common platform. They promised to bring back the glory and prosperity of the Vijayanagar empire to Karnataka if voted to power.
Speaking at the ‘Vikasa Parva’ (towards progress) convention at the Hassan district stadium on Monday, Gowda took on Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah for suggesting that the JD(S) would be vanquished. “Make history by defeating these national parties,” Gowda exhorted his sizeable audience. A large gathering had turned up despite rain.
Kumaraswamy promised he would get an IIT sanctioned in Hassan district, which he said he had been trying to do since 2007. “If JD(S) forms the government, within one year Hassan will get an IIT,” he said.
Braving the rains, JD(S) workers took out a bike rally. Both Kumaraswamy and Revanna travelled in an open vehicle and went around Hassan town before arriving for the convention.
The stage for the convention was constructed as per vaastu principles. As per Vaastushastra, construction work began after Revanna performed a vaastu puja. The stage faced east, and general public were allowed to enter only from the east entrance. The east-facing structure, like the rising sun, is believed to bring good fortune.
All the dignitaries were allowed to enter the stage only from the right, which was again decided based on vaastu. Recently AICC president Rahul Gandhi had also addressed a rally at the same venue. But his rally stage faced north.
According to a senior JD(S) leader, the vaastu-complaint dais had helped as there were rains — another good omen — during the JD(S) bike rally. The rain stopped when the convention commenced, but resumed again after the event.
“Revanna is a strong believer in vaastu,” the leader said. “He decided everything based on the suggestions of his astrologers.”
