Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Monday defended the party's Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council candidate selections, asserting that former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda had 'strengthened' Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — and that the party holds him in high regard, even as Deve Gowda's name was conspicuously absent from the Rajya Sabha nominees list.

Vijayendra on Deve Gowda's Rajya Sabha omission

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Vijayendra said there had been no discussion at the state level about sending Deve Gowda to the Rajya Sabha. He framed the decision as a reflection of the current political situation rather than any slight, noting that the party has fielded candidates who have served sincerely at the organisational level. The remarks came in direct response to sharp criticism from the Indian National Congress (Congress), which had earlier labelled the development a political 'betrayal.'

Who the BJP has fielded

The party has nominated Prof. M. Nagaraj for the Rajya Sabha. Nagaraj belongs to the Kuruba community, has served in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and previously held the post of state BJP vice president. He also served in the Karnataka Public Service Commission during the tenure of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.

For the Legislative Council, the BJP has named Lingaraj Patil and Raghu Kautilya. Patil has been involved in district and state-level organisational responsibilities for 37–38 years, including work within the ABVP. Kautilya belongs to the Madiwala community and brings a background in education and journalism. Vijayendra said all three selections have been received positively within the party.

Sumalatha Ambareesh: A future role promised

On former MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, Vijayendra confirmed that her name had been considered for the Rajya Sabha. He recalled that the BJP had backed her when she contested as an Independent from Mandya, where she won by a large margin. She was subsequently asked to step aside for Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy during the previous election cycle. Vijayendra assured that she would be given a suitable position in the future.

BJP attacks Congress-led state government

Vijayendra also went on the offensive against the ruling Congress government in Karnataka, alleging that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara have been unable to finalise portfolio allocations — a challenge, he argued, that reflects deeper governance failures. He alleged that the state government has not undertaken meaningful development work over the last three years, that the state's debt has reached ₹10 lakh crore, that the cabinet remains incomplete, and that district in-charge allocations are still pending.

Congress fires back

Earlier on the same day, Congress General Secretary and Karnataka In-Charge Randeep Singh Surjewala had described the reported denial of a Rajya Sabha seat to Deve Gowda as politically 'astonishing and eye-opening.' Karnataka State Congress President B.K. Hariprasad, also speaking in Bengaluru, called the BJP's decision a 'betrayal of the people of the state.' The duelling press conferences underscore how the Deve Gowda episode has become a flashpoint in the ongoing BJP–Congress contest for political narrative in Karnataka.

With the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections approaching, the BJP's candidate choices — and the Congress's pointed criticism over Deve Gowda — signal that alliance optics and community arithmetic will remain central to Karnataka's political calculus in the weeks ahead.