BENGALURU: Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda on Tuesday hinted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are keen on inducting his son-in-law Dr CN Manjunath, the BJP contestant for Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency, into the Union Cabinet. Gowda added that he will not rest until he removes the current state government from power.
Gowda, who campaigned for Dr Manjunath in Ramanagara district on Tuesday, said that Manjunath has performed over eight lakh operations in his medical career and helped the poor, and so national leaders want him in their cabinet. “I urge people here to vote,” he said.
Further, Gowda said Modi and Shah identified Dr Manjunath’s strengths and asked him to allow the latter to contest from Bangalore Rural on a BJP ticket. “The BJP leaders told me that Dr Manjunath’s services are required at a national level. It is inevitable, they told me,” he said. Gowda further informed that Dr Manjunath was the director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research in Bengaluru for 16 years.
“When BS Yediyurappa was the CM, he was the first to give extension to Dr Manjunath at Jayadeva. He also increased the bed capacity at the hospital,” he said. Slamming the Congress government in the state, 91-year-old Gowda. “I will not rest till I remove such a corrupt government from the state. I will travel across Karnataka till May 5 and seek votes,” he said.
‘Will get Mekedatu approved’
Recalling his recent interaction with Modi at Chikkaballapur, Gowda said, “Modi said he can understand our pain. I will resolve the Cauvery issue.” Gowda added that they need to win all 28 seats including, Bangalore Rural. “If we win 28 seats here, I will personally hold Modi’s hand and get the Mekedatu project approved,” he said.