New Delhi (ANI): Former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Deve Gowda on Saturday said that he will stand with Left parties in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

While talking to ANI, Devegowda said, “I will stand with left parties in 2024 Lok Sabha elections”

The JDS had on Friday released their second list of candidates for the poll scheduled on May 10. According to the list the party has decided to field H P Swaroop from Hassan constituency instead of Deve Gowda’s daughter-in-law Bhavani Revanna.

The CPI said that it is planning to contest the poll in Karnataka on the “ears if corn and sickle” symbol.

“In the Karnataka election, CPI will contest on the symbol ‘ears of corn and sickle’ that used to be the party’s election symbol ever since 1952… The CPI will strive hard to retain it,” Viswam said in a tweet on Friday.

Meanwhile, the JD(S) chief said that he has written to the Prime Minister requesting him to consider reintroducing the Women’s Reservation Bill. He said that it would be the “first best thing” after the opening of the new Parliament building.

Taking to Twitter, he said, “I recently wrote to the Prime Minister requesting him to consider reintroducing the Women’s Reservation Bill. I took it up first in 1996. It will be the first best thing to do as we move into a new parliament building soon.”

Deve Gowda said in the letter, “When the Election Commission announced polls in Karnataka recently and released the number of eligible women voters in the state, it was not a surprise that there was recently 50 per cent of the total electorate.”

He added that the statistics are not different that other states of India. This made me revisit the idea of women’s reservation in legislative assemblies and Parliament.

Therefore, I urge you to consider passing the Women’s Reservation Bill before the 2024 General elections. Suitable modifications can be made to the draft of the bill presented in 1996 and 2008. Adhering to the principles of social justice will be key to the success of this great move for gender justice, he further stated.

To accord one-third reservation to women in legislative assemblies and parliament is an idea whose time has come, he said.

It will be a symbolic gesture to bring in this bill and pass it as we transition into a new and very modern parliament building. Our mothers and sisters deserve better from us, he further said.

On March 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went for a surprise visit to the New Parliament Building, sources said.

They said he spent more than an hour and inspected various works. He observed facilities coming up at both Houses of Parliament and also interacted with the construction workers.

In July last year, the Prime Minister unveiled the National Emblem cast on the roof of the New Parliament Building. He also interacted with workers

The National Emblem is made of bronze with a total weight of 9,500 kg and is 6.5 m in height. It has been cast at the top of the central foyer of the New Parliament Building. A supporting structure of steel weighing around 6,500 kg has been constructed to support the Emblem.

The Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone of the New Parliament Building in December 2020. The new building is an intrinsic part of the vision of ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’.

The Central Vista project is poised to strengthen governance infrastructure by building new facilities for India’s Parliament and an efficient and sustainable Central Secretariat to house all the ministries of the Government of India.

The Central Vista Development and Re-development Master Plan include the construction of a new Parliament building, the redevelopment of Central Vista Avenue and the construction of Common Central Secretariat Buildings.

The New Parliament Building will have extensive usage of wooden structures

for the creation of interior as well as exterior decor, rooted in traditional motifs and elements. It will also have hand-knotted carpets from Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh.