Former Prime Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Deve Gowda recently revealed that his son, former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, will be entering the electoral fray as an NDA candidate for the Mandya parliamentary seat.
In a statement to the press on Tuesday, Deve Gowda emphasized that the decision to nominate Kumaraswamy, also the JD(S) state president, for the Lok Sabha elections in Mandya stemmed from growing public demand. "There has been a significant demand from the public for Kumaraswamy to contest from Mandya. During our core committee meeting, all members echoed this sentiment," Deve Gowda affirmed.
Notably, Kumaraswamy's son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, faced defeat against independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Mandya.
Deve Gowda also disclosed that the JD(S) has finalized the candidacy of senior leader Mallesh Babu for the Kolar seat.
Meanwhile, H.D. Revanna's son and sitting JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna will be representing the NDA from the Hassan constituency.
Earlier in the day, Kumaraswamy hinted during a media briefing that he would heed the call to contest from Mandya, given the growing public pressure.
On the opposition front, Congress has nominated Venkatarame Gowda, popularly known as 'Star Chandru,' for the Mandya seat, a constituency predominantly occupied by Vokkaligas. Star Chandru shares a close association with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
Read also | Mandi's Electoral Saga: From Royalty to Kangna's Debut
Read also | Seat-Sharing Struggles Persist within INDIA Bloc in Bihar
