H.D. Kumaraswamy, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, on Monday launched a sharp attack on Congress leaders over their remarks on the reported denial of a Rajya Sabha nomination to former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, calling AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala a 'wasooliwala' — a term implying extortion. The remarks escalated an already heated political exchange between the Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress over alliance dynamics and Rajya Sabha seat-sharing in Karnataka.

Kumaraswamy's Broadside Against Surjewala

Kumaraswamy accused Surjewala of turning Karnataka into an ATM through alleged extortion, urging him to address internal conflicts within his own party before commenting on JD(S). He charged Surjewala with political hypocrisy, saying Congress should 'remember its own past actions' before casting aspersions on the regional party.

The Union Minister also invoked history, alleging that in 1997, Congress leaders had conspired to remove H.D. Deve Gowda from the post of Prime Minister — a 'betrayal that Karnataka people have questioned for decades,' he said. He further alleged that in 2019, Congress had 'backstabbed' him by toppling the coalition government despite having earlier formed an alliance together.

Defence of Deve Gowda

Kumaraswamy described Deve Gowda as a 'towering national leader' and the only Prime Minister to have come from Karnataka, arguing it was inappropriate to politicise his name for electoral gains. He accused Congress of practising double standards — projecting secularism publicly while engaging in caste-based and opportunistic politics internally. He also criticised Congress's alliances in other states, including Tamil Nadu, alleging post-poll opportunism.

Congress Hits Back

Karnataka State Congress President B.K. Hariprasad, speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on the same day, described the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) reported decision to deny Deve Gowda a Rajya Sabha ticket as a betrayal of the entire state. 'This is not just an insult to Deve Gowda and the JD(S) party, but an insult to the entire state,' Hariprasad said.

He alleged that the BJP and NDA alliance had taken JD(S) support for the passage of various laws and then denied Deve Gowda the nomination — a move he said 'no one would have imagined.' Hariprasad warned that the people of Karnataka would 'respond appropriately in the coming days' and that such actions would carry political consequences.

Separately, Randeep Singh Surjewala also criticised the BJP and JD(S) leadership over the reported denial, calling it politically 'astonishing and eye-opening.'

BJP's Rajya Sabha Pick

The BJP has announced Prof. M. Nagaraj, described as a staunch RSS functionary with a long academic, administrative, and organisational background, as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha election from Karnataka. The nomination has effectively sidelined Deve Gowda, triggering the current round of cross-party recriminations.

Broader Political Context

This comes amid ongoing tensions over seat-sharing and alliance management in Karnataka, where JD(S) operates as a junior partner in the NDA at the Centre while Congress holds power at the state level. Notably, the Rajya Sabha nomination row has exposed fault lines within the NDA alliance itself, with JD(S) feeling overlooked by its larger partner. How the BJP manages this relationship ahead of future state elections will be closely watched.