Congress attacks NDA after Deve Gowda denied Rajya Sabha ticket
Bengaluru: The Congress has launched a sharp attack on the BJP-JD(S) alliance after former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda was denied an NDA ticket for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. AICC General Secretary and Karnataka Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala criticised Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and the JD(S), accusing them of compromising self-respect and political principles for power.
In a strongly worded post on X, Surjewala alleged that Kumaraswamy was tolerating repeated humiliation of his father, former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, merely to retain his ministerial position in the Narendra Modi-led government.
Questioning the BJP’s decision, Surjewala said the party had denied a Rajya Sabha nomination to a former Prime Minister while choosing Prof. M. Nagaraj as its candidate from Karnataka.
“On Sunday night, the BJP denied a Rajya Sabha nomination to former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. Instead, it chose M. Nagaraj, a party functionary. It is surprising that Kumaraswamy continues to tolerate such treatment from BJP leaders simply to retain his ministerial position,” Surjewala said in his social media post.
The Congress leader further alleged that the BJP’s decision reflected the diminishing influence of the JD(S) within the NDA alliance and raised questions about the treatment being meted out to one of Karnataka’s tallest political leaders.
Surjewala also referred to political developments from the past, highlighting the Congress party’s support for Deve Gowda after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
He noted that despite political differences, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the party leadership had supported Deve Gowda’s entry into the Rajya Sabha in recognition of his stature as a former Prime Minister and a senior leader from Karnataka.
According to Surjewala, the Congress had ensured that Deve Gowda was elected to the Upper House with broad support, even though he had been defeated in the 2019 parliamentary elections by BJP candidate G.S. Basavaraj.
The Congress leader also recalled statements allegedly made by Deve Gowda in the past opposing any alliance between the JD(S) and the BJP.
He claimed that despite such reservations, the JD(S) entered into an alliance with the BJP in October 2023, following which Kumaraswamy became a Union Minister in the NDA government.
Surjewala argued that the latest decision by the BJP to deny Deve Gowda a Rajya Sabha ticket demonstrated the unequal nature of the alliance and exposed what he described as the JD(S)’s willingness to prioritise power over political principles.
Taking a final swipe at the regional party, Surjewala alleged that the pursuit of political power had become the sole guiding principle of the JD(S).
“Whether under any circumstance or at any cost, holding on to power and protecting positions appears to have become the only ideology of the JD(S) in Karnataka,” he remarked.
The BJP has not officially responded to Surjewala’s comments. However, the party’s decision to nominate Prof. M. Nagaraj for the Rajya Sabha has generated significant political debate, particularly because it effectively ends speculation over another parliamentary term for Deve Gowda through the NDA alliance.
The development has added a fresh dimension to the ongoing political rivalry between the Congress and the BJP-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka, with both sides seeking to shape the narrative ahead of future electoral battles.
This post was last modified on June 8, 2026 2:28 pm