BJP skips Deve Gowda, names M Nagaraja for Karnataka Rajya Sabha seat

Bengaluru: The BJP on Sunday announced Prof M Nagaraja as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, ending speculation that former prime minister and sitting MP H.D. Deve Gowda would be renominated.

The Central Election Committee also named Lingaraj Patil and Raghu Kautilya for the Karnataka Legislative Council polls. Nagaraja, a Hubbali-based leader who has served as the BJP’s vice president, replaces Deve Gowda on the BJP’s list as terms of several Rajya Sabha members expire later this month.

The move is likely to disappoint parts of alliance partner JD(S), which had hoped to retain a Rajya Sabha berth for Deve Gowda through the NDA arrangement. JD(S) leaders had reportedly sought his renomination, citing his seniority, but BJP leaders opted for a new face, with reports saying the former PM’s age and health were factors.

Four Rajya Sabha seats are being contested in Karnataka. The BJP currently holds two of the seats up for retirement, the JD(S) one and the Congress one; the Congress has fielded Mallikarjun Kharge, Mansoor Ali Khan and Pawan Khera and is expected to win three seats given its Assembly strength. The BJP’s nomination of Nagaraja signals it intends to contest the remaining Opposition seat rather than allot it to its ally.

With the BJP’s announcement, Deve Gowda’s long parliamentary career is unlikely to continue in the Upper House.