Karnataka: Deve Gowda likely to contest from Tumkuru

Bengaluru, Mar 17: Janata Dal (S) supremo and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda likely to contest from Tumkuru parliamentary constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha election .

Deve Gowda is reportedly planning to avoid Bengaluru North constituency as several Congress MLAs are against it and even met Congress Legislative Party Chief Siddaramaiah to express their dissatisfaction.

Bengaluru North Congress MLAs ST Somashekhar, Byrathi Basavaraj and Byrathi Suresh met Siddaramaiah on Saturday to express their difference with the party decision. According to reports, they reportedly said that it's embarrassing to ask people to vote for JD(S), when they've always contested against them.

Union Minister Sadanand Gowda, who is also a Vokkaliga candidate, is going to be BJP candidate from the Bengaluru North. Hence, to avoid clash with the Union Minister Deve Gowda is likely to focus on Tumkuru.

Tumkuru, currently held the Congress, has been given to JDS in the seat-sharing deal. However, Deputy CM G Parameshwara is also upset with the party decision to give Tumkuru to JDS.

Meanwhile, hinting at a changes in the seat-sharing deal, KPCC Chief Dinesh Gundu Rao said that there might be last minute decisions taken with regards to Tumkuru constituency.