Former PM H D Deve Gowda to contest Rajya Sabha poll from Karnataka

Former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda will contest the Rajya Sabha election from Karnataka, scheduled to take place on June 19, and he will file his nominations on Tuesday (June 9), his son and former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy confirmed on Monday (June 8). 

According to Kumaraswamy, Deve Gowda decided to enter the fray following the request of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, several other leaders and party legislators, and it was not easy to "persuade" him to file the nomination for the Upper House of Parliament.

"Former PM @H_D_Devegowda has decided to contest the Rajya Sabha elections at the request of party legislators, @INCIndia Sonia Gandhi Ji and several national leaders. He is going to file his nominations tomorrow. Thanks to Sri DeveGowda for agreeing to everyone''s consensus," Kumaraswamy tweeted. 

Former PM @H_D_Devegowda have decided to contest the Rajya Sabha elections at the request of party legislators, @INCIndia Sonia Gandhi Ji and several national leaders. He is going to file his nominations tomorrow. Thanks to Sri DeveGowda for agreeing to everyone's consensus. — H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) June 8, 2020

"From the people, former prime minister DeveGowda has seen success and defeat. By the people, he has acquired higher positions. It was not an easy task to persuade DeveGowda to enter the Rajya Sabha," he added. 

From the people, former prime minister DeveGowda has seen success and defeat. By the people, he has acquired higher positions. It was not an easy task to persuade DeveGowda to enter the Rajya Sabha. — H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) June 8, 2020

"Finally, @H_D_Devegowda responded to everyone''s hope and ambition. He will be the state''s top representative in the Rajya Sabha," he said in another tweet.

Finally, @H_D_Devegowda respondend to everyone's hope and ambition. He will be the state's top representative in the Rajya Sabha. — H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) June 8, 2020

Notably, the JD(S) has 34 seats in Karnataka Assembly and it can win a seat in Rajya Sabha only with the support of the Congress. If Deve Gowda wins, this will be his second Rajya Sabha term, The 87-year-old former prime minister first became a Rajya Sabha member in 1996. 

The election to fill four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka, represented by Rajeev Gowda and B K Hariprasad of Congress, Prabhakar Kore of BJP and D Kupendra Reddy of JD(S) that are scheduled to fall vacant on June 25 will take place on June 19. The last date for filing nominations is June 9.