Amidst mounting pressure from the party legislators to contest the Rajya Sabha seat, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda will be in all likelihood the party’s candidate for the June 19 election.
“We have passed a one line resolution that Mr. Gowda should contest the Rajya Sabha polls. In all likelihood, all the four candidates who will be in fray would be elected unanimously,” said a senior party leader, who attended the JD(S)LP meeting here on Friday. A group of legislators also met Mr. Gowda at his residence later to convince him to contest.
While the suspense over Mr. Gowda contesting Rajya Sabha elections continues, his son and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy also said that the JD(S) legislators have been unanimous in seeking his entry to the Upper House.
However, speaking to reporters after the JD(S)LP meeting here, Mr. Kumaraswamy said that Mr. Gowda had neither shown interest in contesting nor has said anything about it. “However, our legislators feel that because of his hard work over the years, and in the prevailing circumstances in the country, his presence is needed in Rajya Sabha.” Though there is pressure from party legislators, no decision has been made yet, he added.
Neither Cong. nor BJP
Mr. Kumaraswamy said that legislators felt that neither Congress nor BJP may field their candidates if Mr. Gowda contests since both the parties do not have the requisite numbers.
“When the time comes we will see and we will have to discuss this only when Mr. Gowda contests. Let us see later,” he added. To a question on the developments in BJP over the leadership issue, he refused to comment, saying it ‘did not matter’ to him.
