Bommai meets ex-PM Deve Gowda, seeks blessings

Bengaluru, Aug 1 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday met former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda whom he considers his "political mentor" and sought his blessings.After his cordial meeting at Padmanabhanagar, where Deve Gowda lives, Bommai told reporters that he knows him from the early days of his political career, while his father and former Chief Minister S.R. Bommai was alive. "I started my political journey with him (Deve Gowda). I had always been on good terms with him and my mother-like Chennamma (Deve Gowda's wife). Their blessings do matter to me," he said.Bommai said that Deve Gowda's experience in handling critical issues like water and border disputes are noteworthy. "I need his support in dealing with such critical issues. I had been meeting him and sought his advice time and again on such issues even when I was Irrigation Minister of this state. Our personal relations are above political relations," he said.He stressed that his intention is to take everyone, including opposition parties, along to take up welfare measures and fight against any injustice to the state.Deve Gowda's elder son, H.D. Revanna, described Bommai as his own younger brother. "We have known each other for many years. Our friendship goes beyond our politics. We are happy that person known to us for many years has become Chief Minister," he said.
--IANS nbh/vd