While claiming that the BJP was also wooing him, former Minister and JD(S) MLA representing Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency G.T. Deve Gowda on Saturday sought an assurance from the Congress for a party ticket to his son and president of Mysuru Chamarajanagar District Central Cooperative Bank Harish Gowda to contest the next Assembly elections if he were join the Congress.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Mr. Gowda said he had sought a party ticket for his son from either Hunsur, K.R. Nagar or Chamaraja during the discussions he held with former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President D.K. Shivakumar.
The Congress leaders had told him that they would speak to the party high command in the matter. While he would contest from Chamundeshwari again in the next elections, Mr. Gowda said he had asked the Congress leaders to resolve the issue relating to Mr. Harish Gowda before taking forward his proposal to join the party.
For his son, Mr. Gowda said he preferred the party ticket from Hunsur first followed by K.R. Nagar and Chamaraja segment in that order.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gowda said he was in touch with the BJP leaders also with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai inviting him to the saffron party. He said the BJP leadership had prmised to field both him and his son in the next elections.
“However, no decision has been taken in the regard yet”, Mr. Gowda said and added that a final decision on his next political move will be taken in another six months’ time.
Mr. Gowda also ruled out the possibility of continuing in the JD(S). He said the party had not contacted him ever since he severed ties with the leadership after the collapse of H.D. Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in the State. Neither has the party leadership invited him to party functions or meetings nor has he attended them on his own, he said.
