New Delhi: Three years ago, HD Deve Gowda leader of Janata Dal (S), had announced that he would not contest polls, and now he said that he would not retire from active politics like BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani. In 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, Mr. Gowda is contesting against BJP Candidate GS Basvaraj of Karnataka's Tumkur parliamentary seat.

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When questioned if he seeks to retire like Lal Krishna Advani, Mr. Gowda denied, adding, "I want to save my party first and last the office building." The former prime minister further said that if Congress president Rahul Gandhi becomes the PM, “I will sit by his side”.

Deve Gowda, while talking about his decision to contest the Lok Sabha Elections, said, "I announced three years ago that I will not contest elections. There are circumstances now in which I have been forced to contest. There is nothing to hide. I have no ambition of anything but what I always said is that I am not going to retire from active politics."

Speaking about his commitment to the Congress, he said: "Even though we are a small party, Madam Sonia Gandhi has taken the decision to support Deve Gowda. Now it is my responsibility to move forward with Congress, though I do agree in some states there is no question of any coalition. But in Tamil Nadu, there is a coalition between Congress and DMK and with Sharad Pawar's party in Maharashtra."

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