Ticket denied by BJP, Gowda quits politics

Aksheev Thakur

New Delhi, March 21

Former Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who was denied a ticket by the BJP to contest from the Bangalore North Constituency in the Lok Sabha elections, on Thursday said he was quitting politics as he was “upset with the BJP”. He clarified that he would stay in the party and called for its “purification to end nepotism”.

Not joining Cong

I am upset with BJP as the party has given the ticket from Bangalore North to someone else. — DV Sadananda Gowda

“I was invited by the Congress, but I won’t join the party. I want Narendra Modi to once again become the Prime Minister. I am upset with the BJP as the party has given the ticket from Bangalore North to someone else in my place,” he said. The BJP has fielded Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje from the Bangalore North Constituency seat.

Meanwhile, sources within the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) said though state Congress president DK Shivakumar was not averse to Gowda joining the party, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was against the idea. Gowda became the Chief Minister of Karnataka in 2011, following Yediyurappa’s resignation.