‘Who in INDIA can lead the country? Show me one person… Only Modi can shoulder task of PM for third term’: Deve Gowda

On Friday evening, soon after holding an election meeting in Malur for the Janata Dal (Secular) candidate in Kolar – one of the three Lok Sabha seats that his party is contesting in Karnataka in an alliance with the BJP – party supremo and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, 91, headed to the house of BJP dissident Hoodi Vijay Kumar to seek his support.

For the first time since 1999, Deve Gowda himself is not a candidate in the Lok Sabha polls, but he has been on the road almost every day, campaigning for the BJP-led NDA’s candidates. Most of that time has been spent in Hassan – the family borough where his grandson Prajwal Revanna, the sitting Lok Sabha MP, is seen as in need of the goodwill for the JD(S) patriarch.

The former PM has also undertaken campaigning in Bengaluru Rural, Tumkur, Chikamagalur, Mysore, Chikkaballapur in south Karnataka, where the JD(S) has a large support base, attending two to five poll meetings in every constituency.

While he cannot walk without assistance due to his age, Deve Gowda remains sharp and lucid in his speeches.

On Saturday, Deve Gowda spent time at his home in Bengaluru for lunch with wife Chennamma before heading for an afternoon rally with PM Narendra Modi. He also performed puja, pointing out that “it is Hanuman Jayanti on April 23”, before sitting down for an interview with The Indian Express. Excerpts:

I have the task of ensuring the victory of the NDA in the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka… When I joined the NDA, I negotiated everything… The first time I discussed the alliance was with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where (son H D) Kumaraswamy was also present. I did not ask about the number of seats they will give us or what else they will provide. We did not discuss the number