Netizens to HD Deve Gowda: How can you seek votes for LR?
But now decades later he has chosen the same man as his party's candidate in a Lok Sabha bypoll.
Mandya: A 27-year-old murder and his stand on it has returned to haunt JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda. Reason? A former MLA, whose name was linked to the murder, is none other than the present JD(S) candidate L.R. Shivarame Gowda for the Mandya Lok Sabha bypoll.
Twenty-seven years ago when advocate-cum-journalist, Gangadhar Murthy was murdered in Nagamangala town, it was alleged that he had paid the price for taking on Mr Shivarame Gowda, who was the then Nagamangala MLA.
Mr Deve Gowda had at the time joined protesters demanding action against him, carrying a photograph of Gangadhar Murthy on his head and covering his mouth with a black cloth.
He had accused Mr Shivarame Gowda of committing atrocities and hit out at police officials for their non-action in the murder case. But now decades later he has chosen the same man as his party’s candidate in a Lok Sabha bypoll. The irony has not been lost on his critics, who have flooded social media sites with questions, asking him whether he intended to return to Nagamangala town to ask for votes for the same man he had accused of involvement in a murder.
What’s the rationale, asked one netizen. Another wanted to know, “What will Deve Gowda speak on Shivarame Gowda now?” Another angry critic demanded to know the status of the Gangadhar Murthy murder case.
The volley of questions has caused the JD(S) embarrassment with the bypolls to Mandya and other Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies, less than a fortnight away in the state.