BENGALURU: As the biennial polls to four Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka were announced on Friday, there was curiosity whether former prime minister and JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda will be the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate for the June 18 polls.
But BJP held a meeting, chaired by party national general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, and proposed the names of former chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda and party functionary Nirmal Kumar Surana.
Agrawal clarified that BJP did not propose Deve Gowda’s renomination as the decision rests with the party high command.
Deve Gowda was elected to the House of Elders as a Congress-JDS alliance candidate. But the equations changed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls when JDS allied with BJP.
If the 93-year-old JDS supremo is renominated, the die will be cast for the alliance to work together for future polls, including the five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), zilla and taluk panchayats and up to 2028 Assembly polls, analysts said.
His renomination could also help shape the political fortunes of the two parties, as Gowda has a substantial sway over Vokkaliga voters in the Old Mysuru region, considered a JDS stronghold, they said.
Echoing a similar sentiment, former JDS MLC and chief of the party for GBA region HM Ramesh Gowda said it’s a matter of pride for Karnataka to renominate Deve Gowda.
“He will be a voice not only for the state’s issues, especially concerning irrigation, but the entire country will benefit from his experience as a former Prime Minister,” he added, expressing confidence that Deve Gowda will be the NDA candidate.
But sources said that former CM BS Yeddyurappa and his son BY Vijayendra, who is BJP state president, insisted that Sadananda Gowda be made the BJP candidate as the party can win one seat out of four.
The party high command announcing a surprise candidate cannot also be ruled out. It may also consider nominating a Karnataka BJP leader from other states where the party is in power, such as Maharashtra, informed sources added.
Apart from Deve Gowda, the other prominent figure retiring on June 25 is Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge whose renomination too has evoked curiosity in political circles.
The deadline for filing nominations is June 8, when all speculation will be put to rest. BJP’s Eranna Kadadi and K Narayan too are retiring on the same day.
In the state Assembly, the INDIA bloc has 140 MLAs, including 137 from Congress and three independents, while the opposition has 82 members. The NDA has 81 MLAs, including 63 from BJP, 18 from JDS and one independent. Two seats are vacant in the 224-member Assembly.
Congress can win three seats out of four and NDA one. In the 222-member House, a candidate requires 44.41 first- preference votes.