Former prime minister and JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda will attend Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi on Monday. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, however, has decided to stay away from the event.

Modi had sent a personal invitation to Gowda. According to JD(S) spokesperson Ramesh Babu, Modi in his letter has suggested that he ‘needs the blessings’ of an elderly statesman like Deve Gowda for him to take charge at the helm of affairs at the Centre.

During the election campaign, Gowda had said that he would retire from politics if Modi came to power at the Centre. Gowda, who was celebrating his wedding anniversary on Saturday, was unavailable for comments.

The Chief Minister’s Office on Saturday confirmed that Siddaramaiah has decided not to attend Modi’s swearing-in ceremony due to “prior engagements.” He will be going on an inspection tour of various development works in Bangalore on Monday.