Bengaluru: With coalition partners Congress and Janata Dal (S) deciding to continue their alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, JD(S) supremo, H.D. Deve Gowda is likely to put off his plans to retire from electoral politics after his current term in Parliament ends. It is being speculated that he could give up his home constituency of Hassan to his grandson, Prajwal Revanna and move to either Mysuru or Mandya in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
It remains to be seen if this is a ploy by the former PM to remain in contention for the post of PM if the Third Front musters the numbers and makes an effort to seize power at the Centre to keep the BJP at bay.
Although Mr Deve Gowda is under pressure from party leaders in Mandya to contest from the constituency, he himself is believed to be keen on Mysuru.
The scene in 2019 especially in the Old Mysuru region may be entirely different after the JD(S) and Congress decided to fight the polls together.
The JD(S), which currently has only one MP, has sought 12 constituencies across Old-Mysuru and is ready to leave 16 to the Congress. But whether the Congress, which has MPs in JD(S) strongholds like Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru and, Chikkaballapur, will be ready to give up even Bengaluru Rural and Tumakuru to its coalition partner, remains to be seen. If it does, Mr Gowda could choose to contest from Bengaluru Rural.
