Former prime minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi
Former prime minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda, who is contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha elections from Karnataka's Tumkur parliamentary constituency, has said he would be by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's side, if he becomes the prime minister.
The former prime minister heaped praise for the Gandhi family and spoke about the JD(S) coalition with Congress.
"Madam Sonia Gandhi has taken the decision to support Deve Gowda even though we are a small party. Now it is my responsibility to move forward with Congress, though I do agree in some states there is no question of any coalition. But in Tamil Nadu, there is a coalition between Congress and DMK and with Sharad Pawar's party in Maharashtra," he said.
The 85-year-old JD(S) leader also said that he had no plans to retire.
"I announced three years back that I will not contest elections. There are circumstances now in which I have been forced to contest. There is nothing to hide. I have no ambition of anything but what I always said is that I am not going to retire from active politics," Deve Gowda said.
Deve Gowda is the Janata Dal-Secular candidate from Karnataka's Tumkur parliamentary constituency, where his BJP rival is GS Basavaraj.
"I am not bothered about this. My concern is (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi will come to Parliament. I have got the guts and conviction to tell it to the face of the PM. I have the courage. If Rahul Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister, I will sit by his side. It is not necessary to become the Prime Minister," he said.
