BAREILLY, Mar 12: Janata Dal (Secular) president H D Devegowda will be the only former Prime Minister to contest the Lok Sabha election this time.
Of the total 13 Prime Ministers so far, nine have already died and now only Mr Devegowda, a six-time Parliamentarian is the candidate for the 16th Lok Sabha.
Former Prime Minister and BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee had taken political retirement way back in 2009 and another former Prime Minister Indra Kumar Gujral died on November 30, 2012.
Present Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is the member of the Rajya Sabha and is not expected to contest in the Lok Sabha polls. Interestingly, Devegowda (80), is doing active politics in Karnataka, and was also the only former-Prime Minister to contest and win in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.
A former Chief Minister of Karnataka from December 11, 1994 to May 31, 1996 Mr Devegowda first time became the Lok Sabha member in the 10th Lok Sabha from Hassan seat on Janata Dal ticket.
He was the Prime Minister of the United Front between June 1, 1996 to April 21, 1997 and was the member of Rajya Sabha between 1996 to 1998.
He along with Dr Manmohan Singh, Indira Gandhi and Indra Kumar Gujral were among those, who were Prime Ministers as a member of Upper House.
Mr Devegowda won from the Hassan seat in Karanataka for the second time in 1998 but lost in 1999, but later won the by-election from Kanakpura seat in Karnataka to enter the Lok Sabha.
He won the 2004 and then 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Hasan seat on JD (S) ticket.
Mr Devegowda, a prominent political face to champion the cause of a non-BJP and non-Congress third front will again contest from Hasan seat where the polling will take place on April 17. (UNI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel