Bengaluru: Janata Dal (Secular) headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Sunday extended support to Opposition’s Presidential candidate Meira Kumar. The election is scheduled for July 17.

Member of Karnataka Legislative Assembly H D Kumaraswamy, who is also JD(S) State President, proposed her name by signing the application here. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too put his signature proposing the candidature of Ms. Kumar. The JD (S) has 40 MLAs and two MPs. However, the JD (S) has suspended eight MLAs on the grounds of indulging in anti-party activities during elections to the Rajya Sabha last year.

Sources in the Congress said that Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G. Parameshwara approached Deve Gowda seeking support for Ms. Kumar in the presidential elections and the JD (S) leader agreed to provide party’s support to defeat communal forces in the country. The NDA has fielded Ram Nath Kovind. The JD (S), which was known to switch sides, also supported the Mayoral candidate of the Congress in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

It may be recalled that JD(S) had supported Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the no-confidence motion moved by Congress against Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman D.H. Shankaramurthy. The no-confidence motion against Shankaramurthy was defeated by one vote.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, several of his Cabinet colleagues and party MLAs signed the proposal form in the KPCC office.