BENGALURU, June 9 -- HD Deve Gowda's three-decade-long parliamentary career appears to be drawing to a close, after the BJP on Sunday did not renominate the former prime minister to the Rajya Sabha elections, effectively shutting off his only realistic route back to the Parliament. By selecting M Nagaraja for Karnataka's lone winnable Rajya Sabha seat, the BJP ended speculation that Gowda, whose current tenure expires later this month, would be fielded as a nominee of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

The announcement immediately became a flashpoint in Karnataka politics, exposing tensions around the BJP's partnership with the Janata Dal (Secular), the party founded and led by Gowda.

Congress leaders portrayed the decision as a ...