JD(S) MLAs unanimously want Deve Gowda to contest for RS
Bengaluru: JD(S) legislators are of the unanimous opinion that party supremo H D Deve Gowda should contest Rajya Sabha polls scheduled for June 19, his son and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said on Friday.
He said the party legislators also feel that Congress and BJP are not likely to field candidates for one seat if Gowda contests.
The four seats of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka represented by Rajeev Gowda and B K Hariprasad of Congress, Prabhakar Kore of BJP, and D Kupendra Reddy of JD(S) will fall vacant on June 25 with their retirement.
"It is the unanimous pressure from all the legislators that Deve Gowda has to contest from the party, keeping in mind today's situation, but Deve Gowda has so far not expressed any interest to contest Rajya Sabha polls or has agreed for it till this movement," Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking to reporters after JD(S) legislature party meeting here, he said, but our legislators considering his service and experience, feel that Deve Gowda must go to Rajya Sabha, given the situation that exists in the country.
"It has not been decided yet, whether to contest or not... legislators have said they will discuss with him (Gowda) about their demand (and convince)," he added.
With 117 members (including Speaker), BJP can ensure victory in two of the four seats, while Congress with 68 MLAs can win one seat.
With a minimum of 44 votes required for candidates to win, no party can independently win the fourth seat.
JD(S) that has 34 seats in the assembly is not in a position to win a seat in Rajya Sabha on its own and will need support from one of the national parties with their surplus votes for this.
Speculations are rife that Congress is likely to support JD(S) with its surplus votes if the regional party fields Gowda and in return may seek favor during legislative council polls slated later this month.
Noting that BJP and Congress have the numbers to ensure the victory of two and one candidates respectively and both parties would have surplus votes, Kumaraswamy said, both parties have a shortage to win one more seat.
He said, legislators, think that if Deve Gowda is fielded, Congress and BJP will not field candidates for the fourth seat that they cannot win on their own.
"Let's see what happens when the time comes, why worry about it now itself. let's think about it and decide if he (Gowda) contests," he added.
According to sources, JD(S) is also thinking about an alternative name if Gowda declines to contest.
Whether Congress will agree to it is not clear.
On Gowda not agreeing to contest and not being able to find a suitable alternative, there may be chances of JD(S) deciding not to contest RS polls in and support Congress, sources said, adding that, in return, it may seek favor in legislative council polls, but nothing has been decided.
Aimed at consolidating his position as a Vokkaliga leader, state Congress President D K Shivakumar is said to be keen on supporting Gowda, a veteran from the community that has a large presence in southern parts of the state.
Gowda, who believes in getting elected from the people, is not keen on "backdoor entry", sources said, adding that there is also a feeling that taking support from Congress will make it difficult for JD(S) in the old Mysuru region, where the grand old party is its traditional rival, as it happened during 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which both parties fought in the alliance.
If he contests and wins, this would be the second Rajya Sabha entry for 87-year-old Gowda, the first time being in 1996 as Prime Minister.
Gowda was defeated in Tumkur constituency by BJP's G S Basavaraj by a margin of over 13,000 votes in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
As the joint candidate of the then ruling Congress-JDS coalition, Gowda had chosen to contest from Tumkur at the last minute, after vacating Hassan-his home turf, to grandson Prajwal Revanna (a current MP).
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Body of UP man killed in Riyadh missile attack brought to native village
Sitapur (UP) (PTI): The mortal remains of a 26-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh, who was killed in a suspected missile attack in Riyadh earlier this month, was brought to his native village in Sitapur on Wednesday, his family members said.
Ravi Gopal, a resident of Baghain village under Mahmudabad police station limits, had been working as a driver in a plastic factory in the Saudi capital since September 2025. He was killed on the night of March 18 in what his family described as a missile strike near his workplace.
His elder brother, Manmohan Dayal, told PTI that the mortal remains were handed over to him in Lucknow on Wednesday morning with the help of the administration.
"The body was received around 9.30 am. We are now taking it to our village in an ambulance and expect to reach by noon," he said earlier this morning.
"The cremation will be held today and preparations are already underway in the village," he said.
Dayal said Rakesh Kumar, Naib Tehsildar from Mahmudabad, has been deputed to facilitate the process and was accompanying the convoy.
He added that the family had been informed earlier by embassy officials and the local administration that the body would be flown from Riyadh to Lucknow, arriving on Wednesday morning.
Earlier, the family had claimed that Ravi died after being buried under debris following a missile strike near the factory where he worked. He was later taken to a hospital where doctors declared him dead.
The Ministry of External Affairs had said it received information on March 18 regarding the "tragic demise of an Indian national" in Riyadh and expressed condolences to the bereaved family. The Indian Mission in Riyadh coordinated with local authorities to facilitate the repatriation of the body.
Ravi, the sole breadwinner of his family, is survived by his wife and a four-year-old son. The family has sought compensation and assistance from the administration.
Officials said the district administration remained in touch with the family to ensure smooth completion of formalities.
