JD(S) Supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda will contest the Rajya Sabha election in Karnataka, announced his son HD Kumaraswamy. In a tweet, Kumaraswamy said Gowda agreed to fight the election on the request of his party workers, and Indian National Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
The Congress on Monday, 8 June, confirmed its support to ally Deve Gowda.
“From the people, former prime minister Deve Gowda has seen success and defeat. By the people, he has acquired higher positions. It was not an easy task to persuade Deve Gowda to enter the Rajya Sabha,” Kumaraswamy wrote on twitter.
The decision comes after much ambiguity as Gowda was not keen on contesting the Rajya Sabha elections. Deve Gowda was defeated in last year's general election by his BJP rival in 2019.
Elections will be held on 19 June for four Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka. The Congress has named senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge as their candidate. With 68 MLAs, the party has enough votes to win one seat and surplus to support another candidate. The party has decided to use the spare votes to elect Deve Gowda.
BJP Announces Candidates
Meanwhile, BJP on Monday announced Eranna Kadadi and Ashok Gasti as the party's candidates for the two Rajya Sabha seats. Kadadi was the president of the BJP's Gokak unit and the Belagavi Rural unit. He had lost the Assembly elections from the Arabhavi constituency in 1994.
Ashok Gasti, 55, hails from Raichur and also came through the ranks in the BJP after a stint with the ABVP. He has held roles within the party's Ballari and Raichur units and was also the head of the BJP's Backward Classes Commission in Karnataka.
Ramesh Katti, brother of BJP MLA from Hukkeri Umesh Katti was in the fray for the Rajya Sabha, however, he was sidelined by the party at the last minute, said sources. A meeting held by the Kattis with a group of MLAs from North Karnataka earlier in May had raised speculation of rift in the party.
(With input from The News Minute)
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