Bengaluru: It’s the last thing that Jaffer Sharief needs as he attempts to pass the baton to his grandson — for the second time. In a low blow, former prime minister and one time friend turned foe H.D. Deve Gowda dropped a bombshell that can only add to Mr Sharief’s woes. On Friday evening, the former PM claimed before the media that Mr Sharief had held talks with his son, H.D. Kumaraswamy on fielding Sharief’s grandson, Rehaman Sharief from Hebbal on a JD(S) ticket in the February 13 bypoll.
In a huge shock to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah — and Deve Gowda — Rehaman bagged the Congress ticket and obviously, there was no reason for Sharief to contact Gowda again!
“We in fact waited till the last moment. But there was no word from him after the meeting. In the past too, Mr Sharief has failed to keep his word to us after we reached an agreement,” he said, raking up hitherto unconfirmed reports of the veteran Congressman reaching out to the JD(S) leader.
In the 2014 parliament elections, Mr Sharief reportedly took the B-form of the JD (S) from Mr Gowda, promising he would contest from Mysuru. However, instead of going to Mysuru, he embarked on a pilgrimage.
“Mr Sharief need not give me a reply, he should reply to God,” Gowda remarked cynically. The JD(S) supremo is upset with Mr Sharief after he distanced himself from Mr Gowda saying that he had not met any JD(S) leader on the issue.
