Will Deve Gowda get a belated birthday gift in Karnataka?

Sweet welcome: Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and his family being presented with prasadam on Tirumala on Friday.

BENGALURU, May 19, 2018 00:34 IST

Updated: May 19, 2018 00:34 IST

Will Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda witness his party coming to power in Karnataka a day after his birthday?

Amid the ongoing political drama in the State, Mr. Gowda celebrated his 85th birthday on Friday by cutting a cake at his residence after returning from Tirupati.

In the run-up to the Assembly elections, Mr. Gowda had expressed confidence in the electorate voting the JD(S) to power and had said that he would consider the party coming to power on its own a “gift” from the people. Though this did not happen, the turn of events that saw the Congress offering unconditional support to the JD(S) pushed Mr. Gowda’s son H.D. Kumaraswamy close to the post of Chief Minister for a second time.

On Saturday, the BJP, which came in Mr. Kumaraswamy’s way by claiming the right to form the government, will face a floor test in the House. If the party doesn’t pass, Mr. Kumaraswamy would, naturally, occupy the top post. Mr. Gowda, who welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court to hold the floor test on Saturday, said: “The pro tem speaker has to act impartially during the floor test and uphold democratic traditions and principles.”

Interestingly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had criticised both Mr. Gowda and the JD(S) in the run-up to polls, called up the former Prime Minister to wish him on Saturday. “Spoke to our former Prime Minister Shri H.D. Deve Gowda Ji and conveyed birthday wishes to him. I pray for his good health and long life,” Mr. Modi tweeted.

All-India Congress Committee president Rahul Gandhi also sent out birthday wishes to the veteran leader on social media. “I would like to wish Shri HD Deve Gowda ji a very happy birthday and pray for his good health and happiness,” he wrote on Twitter.

At Tirupati

Earlier in the day, Mr. Gowda offered prayers at the hill temple of Lord Venkateswara in Tirupati alongside his wife Channamma and other family members. He reached the temple town on Thursday and had darshan of the deity during the weekly Nija Pada Darshana Seva.