HD Deve Gowda (ANI)

The former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda filed his nomination from Tumkur in Karnataka, but clarified that he was persuaded to fight the Lok Sabha elections by Opposition leaders.

“I have worked as Lok Sabha MP for 29 years, that’s why I had said I won’t contest elections. I had decided to make sure Prajwal Revanna contests from Hassan. Farooq Abdullah, Mamata Banerjee, Ghulam Nabi Azad & many leaders, including my friends, suggested me to contest,” news agency ANI quoted Gowda as saying.

Gowda made it clear that he had no intention to hurt the sitting MP. He said, “I know when we took this decision it might have hurt the sitting MP from Tumkur SP Muddahanumegowda. I don’t want to hurt him, Congress leaders conveyed everything to him…I chose to contest from Tumkur on the demand of many Congress and JD(S) leaders”

Deve Gowda further said that apart from contesting in the Tumkur constituency, he will also campaign in the rest of the state. “Congress gave CM seat to us even when we won 37 seats. With the support of Rahul Gandhi & Sonia Gandhi, we formed govt here. I’ll campaign everywhere in the state. I’ll also go to Andhra, Chandrababu Naidu also invited me. We’re secular parties, wherever required I’ll go,” he added as per the agency.

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Upset with Congress-JDS move to field Gowda from Tumkur, two Congress leaders KN Rajanna and SP Muddahanumegowda rebelled against the decision. “I have filed my nomination as a Congress candidate. I request to my leader and leaders of JD(S) to reconsider their decision and to give the ticket to me only. I am confident that I will get back the seat,” Rajanna told ANI.

Speaking to the agency, Rajanna added, “We request Deve Gowda to contest from Bengaluru North instead of Tumkur. If Deve Gowda wants to contest from here, let him contest on Congress ticket, we all will vote for him.”