Prajwal Revanna, grandson of Janata Dal (Secular) founder H.D. Deve Gowda and a key figure in one of Karnataka’s biggest recent political scandals, was found guilty on Friday by a Bengaluru court of raping a former domestic worker at his family’s farmhouse.
Prajwal Revanna faces charges in four rape cases that came to light after several videos, allegedly showing him committing sexual assaults, surfaced publicly ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Prajwal Revanna’s conviction follows a trial that began on May 2 with the recording of the survivor’s statement. The Karnataka Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) filed the chargesheet in December 2024, and formal charges were framed on April 3, 2025.
Prajwal Revanna, a 34-year-old former Lok Sabha MP from the JD(S) stronghold of Hassan, now stands convicted—a development likely to corner the JD(S), which has been an ally of the BJP since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Prajwal Revanna has never been one to hold his tongue—or toe the JD(S) party line. While such outspokenness and defiance might derail most political careers, Prajwal seemed to have mastered the game early on. Much of this was credited to the influence of his mother, Bhavani Revanna, a politically astute figure from Krishnarajanagar. Widely regarded as the driving force behind this branch of the Deve Gowda family, she played a pivotal role in shaping his political ambitions.
Rising Star to Suspended MP: The Political Journey of Prajwal Revanna
An engineering graduate, Prajwal Revanna—son of H.D. Revanna and grandson of H.D. Deve Gowda—pursued an MTech in Australia before returning to India just ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. At only 24, he jumped headfirst into politics and quickly became a familiar face alongside his grandfather in the JD(S) stronghold of the Old Mysuru region, where he effortlessly connected with the local people.
The rival branch of the family—led by H.D. Kumaraswamy, former Chief Minister and younger brother of H.D. Revanna—quickly took note of Prajwal’s rising profile. Thus began a family feud that has since cast a long shadow over the JD(S), fueling internal tensions and political rivalry.
BIG BREAKING 🚨
Prajwal Revanna, HD Deve Gowda’s grandson & MP aligned with the BJP, is accused of sexually abusing over thousands of women in K’taka.
BJP was all fired up about Sandeshkhali, but now they’re zipped tight about this incident ⚡️
Today, there was a massive… pic.twitter.com/VIbkQlmEYZ
— Amock (@Politicx2029) April 28, 2024
In fact, as soon as the damaging allegations against Prajwal surfaced, H.D. Kumaraswamy was quick to distance himself, asserting that both he and his father, Deve Gowda, “have always respected women.”
In May 2024, under H.D. Kumaraswamy’s leadership, the JD(S) announced Prajwal Revanna’s suspension pending the report of the SIT formed by the Congress-led state government.
Bhavani Revanna had long harbored political ambitions, making multiple attempts since 2013 to secure a ticket for the Krishnarajanagar seat. However, her efforts were reportedly blocked by both Deve Gowda and H.D. Kumaraswamy.
The denial of a ticket to Prajwal in the 2018 Assembly elections escalated the family’s internal rift to a new level. Though he initially pledged to respect the party’s decision, Prajwal later lashed out, accusing the JD(S) of promoting a “suitcase culture,” implying decisions driven by money.
Then came 2019. When Nikhil Kumaraswamy was given the Lok Sabha ticket from Mandya—a traditional family stronghold—pressure mounted on Deve Gowda to find a seat for Prajwal as well.
Ultimately, caught between the competing demands of his sons’ families, Deve Gowda ceded his own stronghold of Hassan to accommodate Prajwal.
While announcing Prajwal as the JD(S) candidate from Hassan, an emotional Deve Gowda—tears streaming like his grandson’s—declared with conviction that the constituency would back the young leader. “And when Deve Gowda says something, more than half of Hassan’s voters follow,” remarked a JD(S) party worker.
And they did. In his electoral debut, Prajwal secured 53% of the vote—surpassing even Deve Gowda’s 2014 tally—in an election where the JD(S) was allied with the Congress.
Meanwhile, veteran leader and former Prime Minister Deve Gowda lost the Tumakuru Lok Sabha seat to BJP’s G.S. Basavaraj, while Nikhil Kumaraswamy faced defeat in Mandya.
In the ongoing power struggle between the Revanna and Kumaraswamy factions, Nikhil’s defeat was a bitter blow—made worse by allegations that members of the rival camp may have played a role in his loss.
During his sole term as an MP, Prajwal made little impact in Parliament and was often criticised for being inaccessible to his constituents.
Even before the BJP-JD(S) alliance was formally announced last year, Deve Gowda had already named Prajwal as the party’s candidate from Hassan—a move that reportedly didn’t sit well with either the BJP or H.D. Kumaraswamy. At the time, state BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra remarked, “It is unfair to say the BJP high command was aware of this. Had we known, how could he have been allowed to contest as the alliance’s joint candidate from Hassan? The JD(S) has already taken action by suspending him.”
