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Deve Gowda Snub Raises Questions for JD(U)-BJP Relations
The recent omission of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda from the BJP's Rajya Sabha nominations has sparked significant tension within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). While the Janata Dal (Secular) did not directly address the BJP's decision, it highlights underlying fractures in the coalition. The JD(S) took to social media to remind critics of the Congress party's historical misdeeds, stating, "
ಮಿಸ್ಟರ್ ವಸೂಲಿವಾಲಾ rssurjewala, ಜೆಡಿಎಸ್ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾತನಾಡುವ ಮುನ್ನ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ನ ಕರಾಳ ಇತಿಹಾಸವನ್ನು ಒಮ್ಮೆ ನೆನಪಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ."
On the final day for nominations, the BJP selected Prof. (Dr.) M. Nagaraja from the Kuruba community, leaving four Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka filled by Congress nominees, including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Expectations had been high that either Gowda or former Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh would be the BJP-JD(S) candidate. A JD(S) legislator expressed shock, saying, "Till late last night, we were expecting that our leader's (Deve Gowda) name would be announced."
Although Gowda did not publicly seek a nomination, his exclusion has generated considerable discontent among allies. This decision marks a significant turning point in his nearly six-decade political career and raises questions about the future of the JD(S)-BJP partnership in Karnataka. With Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar inviting JD(S) members to switch to Congress and H.D. Kumaraswamy entrenched in his ministerial role in New Delhi, the regional party faces increasing challenges ahead.
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