Growing demand from party for Deve Gowda to contest from Mysore-Kodagu seat

Amid the continuing uncertainty about JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda's choice of a constituency for the coming Lok Sabha election, there is growing demand within the party that he contest the from Mysore-Kodagu seat. "...Deve Gowda has himself said Prajwal will contest from Hassan and Nikhil will contest from Mandya. We want Deve Gowda to contest from Mysuru. We have said this earlier also in public meeting," Mysuru district in-charge Minister and JD(S) leader G T Deve Gowda said.

Prajwal and Nikhil are Deve Gowda's grandsons. Speaking to reporters, the minister said, the former prime minister had an affectionate relationship with the people of Mysuru, who have recognised the developments in the irrigation sector in the region ushered in by him.

"If there is an alliance between Congress and JD(S), H D Deve Gowda should be the candidate that's the wish of the people," he said adding there was no other name, and "we have requested him," the Minister said. Demand for the JDS supremo to contest from Mysore-Kodagu constituency resurfaced, with him indicating Sunday that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy was likely to be the candidate from Mandya.

There were reports earlier that the veteran leader will contest from Mandya, a long time bastion of the party, after deciding to vacate his current constituency Hassan to another grandson Prajewal Revanna, son of minister H D Revanna. Asked whether there were still doubts about an alliance with Congress, the Minister said, it would be clear only on the day when the seat sharing for the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies was announced.

He said Congress too was seeking to field its candidate from Mysore-Kodagu, currently held by BJP's Pratap Simha. It remains to be seen, whether Congress, especially its legislature party leader Siddaramaiah, will be ready to concede it to JDS as the constituency was his home turf.

The coordination committee that met on Monday to decide on seat sharing could not arrive at a consensus, and it is now expected to be finalised by the high command of the two parties-- Congress President Rahul Gandhi and H D Deve Gowda. The seat sharing is likely to be a major test for the two parties, which share power in the state.

JDS has demanded 12 out of the total of 28 seats. Asked about him contesting the Lok Sabha polls, the JDS chief, citing health reasons and that age was catching up, had earlier said he has "not decided yet.

(With inputs from agencies.)