Lok Sabha elections: HD Deve Gowda files nomination from Tumkur, Congress' rebel also enters fray

JDS patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda Monday filed his nomination from Tumkur as the ruling alliance candidate, but will have to face a rebel candidate from alliance partner Congress.

Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Deve Gowda. PTI

HD Deve Gowda filed his nomination from Tumkur Lok Sabha constituency as the ruling Congress-JDS alliance candidate.

Defying the electoral arrangement between the coalition partners, sitting Congress MP S P Muddahanumegowda also filed his papers.

According to sources, JDS bagged Tumkur seat after hard bargaining with the Congress.

BENGALURU: Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Monday filed his nomination from Tumkur Lok Sabha constituency as the ruling alliance candidate. The former prime minister filed his nomination at the Deputy Commissioner's office in Tumkur as the joint candidate of the JD-S-Congress alliance in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara of Congress and other leaders. Defying the electoral arrangement between the coalition partners under which Tumkur was allotted to JDS, sitting Congress MP S P Muddahanumegowda also filed his papers. Speaking after filing his nomination, Gowda called on workers of both Congress and JDS to work unitedly to fight the "communal BJP". "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 JDS leaders," he said. "The Congress gave the CM chair to us even when we won 37 seats. With the support of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi we formed the government here. I will campaign everywhere in state. I will also go to Andhra, Chandrababu Naidu also invited me. We are secular parties, wherever required I will go," he added. Gowda, who had given the Hassan Lok Sabha seat that he has been representing to his grandson Prajwal Revanna, chose Tumkur over Bangalore North seat. On the other hand, Muddahanumegowda filed his nomination wearing the Congress party's scarf and said he still has faith about getting a ticket from his party. "I'm filing my nomination as the Congress candidate... I'm not filing the nomination for fun, I'm a Member of Parliament fromTumkur and I'm contesting" he told reporters ahead of filing his nomination. According to sources, JDS bagged Tumkur seat after hard bargaining with the Congress as the party did notconcede Mysore, another seat it had demanded, due tostrong resentment from CLP leader Siddaramaiah, as it is his home turf. Mysore and Tumkur both come under old Mysuru region,where the Vokkaliga community, seen as a strong vote bank of the JDS, is dominant. Congress too has considerable presence there. If Muddahanumegowda contests from Tumkur as a rebel candidate, it will add to the Congress-JDS coalition worries as the alliance is facing backlash at several places, including Mandya and Hassan, with party workers are unhappy with the seat arrangements. For the coalition to emerge as a formidable opposition to BJP and win more number of seats, it is crucial for the Congress to transfer its votes to JD(S) and vice-versa, including Mandya. (With inputs from PTI)

Published at : 25 Mar 2019 06:48 PM (IST)

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