Deve Gowda drops plan to retire, will fight LS polls

Bengaluru: With Karnataka’s ruling allies, Janata Dal(S) and Congress, deciding to continue their pact in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, octogenarian JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda is likely to put off his plans to retire from electoral politics after the end of his current term in Parliament.

It is being speculated that he could give his Hassan constituency to grandson Prajwal Revanna and move to either Mysuru or Mandya in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Mr Gowda’s eagerness to contest the next elections is being seen as a ploy to remain in contention for the Prime Minister’s post if the third front musters the numbers and makes an effort to seize power at the Centre to keep the BJP at bay.

Sources said some JD(S) leaders want Mr Gowda to contest from the Mandya seat but he himself is keen on Mysuru. For 2019, the JD(S) has sought 12 constituencies across Old Mysuru from the Congress and is ready to leave the remaining 16 for the Congress.