Parliament’s humorous moments took a sharper edge as H.D. Deve Gowda, ex-PM and Rajya Sabha MP, countered Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s wedding analogy with a divorce narrative. Kharge’s light-hearted dig portrayed Deve Gowda’s shift from Congress ‘love’ to a BJP ‘marriage.’ Undeterred, Deve Gowda shared a cheeky yet factual letter on X, absent from the session due to Ugadi celebrations in Bengaluru.
Framing his response matrimonially, Deve Gowda described a ‘forced marriage’ to Congress marred by disrespect, necessitating a split. He spotlighted 2018 drama: Congress dispatched Ghulam Nabi Azad to pitch Kumaraswamy as CM. Deve Gowda countered by nominating Kharge, only for Congress to double down on his son. The alliance crumbled in 2019 amid MLA defections to BJP.
Deve Gowda lambasted Congress for not curbing horse-trading, arguing it weakened Kharge’s leadership. ‘They divorced me, forcing me toward stable ties,’ he asserted. While lauding Kharge’s integrity, he highlighted Congress’s barriers versus Modi’s warmth. This exchange revives Karnataka’s coalition saga, where JD(S)-Congress pacts soured, paving way for BJP overtures. The House chuckled at Kharge’s wisecrack, but Deve Gowda’s retort packs political punch, blending banter with biting critique of past betrayals.