Post Wadiyar, JD(S) pushes for MP seat for Mysore Maharani
The Janata Dal (Secular) is set to make the battle for the Mysore parliamentary seat interesting.
Mysore: The Janata Dal (Secular) is set to make the battle for the Mysore parliamentary seat interesting by mooting the idea of electing Maharani Pramoda Devi unopposed to the Lok Sabha.
Party leaders are even considering meeting Pramoda Devi personally after the completion of the final rituals of the scion of the royal family Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, who died recently. This move of the JD(S) has left the rival Congress and BJP, uneasy.
While Congress and BJP preferred not to react to the development and downplayed the JD(S) idea as ‘untimely’ and ‘politically motivated’, JD(S) Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Deve Gowda reiterated his view while speaking to Deccan Chronicle, that Pramoda Devi should be elected unopposed, which would be a befitting tribute to the last prince of the Wadiyar dynasty whose contributions to Mysore region are parallelled. He urged other parties to support the move.
“JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and H.D. Kumaraswamy are sympathetic towards Pramoda Devi and want to do something for the royal family. We don’t know whether the Maharani is interested in contesting or not. After completion of the rituals, we will meet Pramoda Devi and express our opinion.
Our leader Deve Gowda wants the legal disputes of Mysore royal family be settled amicably for which Pramoda Devi needs power and a platform to raise her voice. If she is elected to the Lok Sabha, she can directly speak to the Prime Minister and make a strong case for herself in settling the long-pending legal disputes”, he said and added that JD(S) was not trying to gain political mileage.
Countering G.T. Deve Gowda’s argument, Congress and BJP said the root cause for all the problems faced by Mysore royal family was JD(S).
“When JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda was the PM, two significant legislations – Bangalore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act and Mysore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act – were enacted. Now, the JD(S) is shedding crocodile tears in an attempt to score cheap political points”, remarked a Congress leader.