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I am not in the race for PM, will back Rahul Gandhi: H D Deve Gowda

The former prime minister declared that this would be his last Lok Sabha election as he was at the end of his political career.

Hubballi: Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda said he had no ambitions of joining the race for the Prime Minister’s post and pledged his support for Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday.

He told the media here that though many leaders including BSP supremo Mayawati, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, NCP’s Sharad Pawar and TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu were eligible to occupy the top post, his party would support for Mr Gandhi.

The former prime minister declared that this would be his last Lok Sabha election as he was at the end of his political career, and admitted that he was forced to enter the fray during ongoing elections in view of pressure from party leaders and supporters.

Mr Gowda said: “Those who opposed me in politics are already in heaven. I am still alive as I have divine blessings. I have not neglected north Karnataka. I had released funds for construction of Almatti dam for storage of 30 TMC feet water and also launched several irrigation projects in the Krishna basin, but leaders of the region are accusing me of discrimination about development of the region.”

In fact, a berth was given to a leader belonging to Vijayapura district during his tenure as Chief Minister, he added. Earlier, Mr Gowda campaigned for his party candidate Sunita Devanand Chavan, wife of Nagthan legislator Devanand Phulsing Chavan, in Vijayapura parliamentary constituency.

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