Gowda says he is yet to decide on contesting LS polls

Maintaining suspense about contesting the Lok Sabha polls, JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda Tuesday said he is yet to decide and been thinkingabout his 'usefulness' in the national capital.

The 85-year-old leader citing his agesaid he lacked the strength that he had in 1996, when he became the Prime Minister, but there is "enthusiasm".

He also made it clear that the opponent of opposition parties now was the BJP and not the Congress and said he would stand along with Congress president Rahul Gandhi even if he was able to do even a bit for the country under his (Gandhi) leadership.

"From where should I be contesting or not to, I think I have that much of basic freedom to decide.let's decide on it with in a few days, there is no problem. But, I'm thinking to myself about my usefulness in Delhi, I'm watching itI will decide," Gowda said.

Pointing out that in his speech at the last session of Parliament he had indicated it was his last speech, hesaid, but a few friends had asked him to contest this time.

"I'm yet to decide."