Deve Gowda in race for PM's post, hints HDK says nation ready for Kannadiga as PM

Mandya: Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy here on Wednesday hinted that his father, JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda, was in the race for the prime minister’s post.

Speaking at an event, meant to launch government programmes in Mandya district Kumaraswamy said, “In 1996, a Kannadiga HD Devegowda became Prime Minister after you (Karnataka people) blessed us with 16 Lok Sabha seats. If you bless Congress and JD(S) with at least 20-22 seats in Karnataka once again, a Kannadiga can be in that place (Prime Minister).”

“The atmosphere across the nation is conducive for a Kannadiga to become the PM. In this country, anything can happen. Why can’t it happen?,” he queried adding that the party would not cede the Mandya Lok Sabha seat to Sumalatha, wife of late actor-politician Ambareesh at any cost. His remark comes even as the seat-sharing for Lok Sabha polls between Congress and JDS is to be finalised.

Meanwhile, the JDS is also working on establishing a pan-India presence and towards this end, it would be fielding candidates outside Karnataka in the coming Lok Sabha polls. According to reports, the party is eying 10 seats spread over Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and even the north east.

Other than being part of the ruling coalition in Karnataka,  JD(S) is part of the LDF in Kerala which is running the government. The JD(S) has three MLAs in Kerala, while K Krishnan Kutty is state Minister for Water Resources.  Recently, the JD(S) had roped in former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Gegong Apang to the party.