Decision to quit electoral politics my own, clarifies former Karnataka CM Sadananda Gowda

Gowda whiel addressing the media at his residence in Sanjay Nagar refuted rumours that he had quit electoral politics due to fear of being denied a ticket in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 from Bengaluru North constituency.

Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior BJP leader DV Sadanand Gowda, who on Wednesday announced retirement from electoral politics has said that the decision to retire from electoral politics was his own decision and nobody has pressured him for the same. The former union minister while addressing a press conference at his residence in Sanjay Nagar also refuted rumours that he had quit politics due to fear of being denied a ticket in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 from Bengaluru North constituency.

Gowda said that the decision was not taken due to the fear of losing the ticket and clarified that he decided to quit electoral politics after discussing with his family. Gowda further said that he did not intend to bring his children into electoral politics. “I have no desire to be involved in politics, nor do I want my children to be involved. Family politics is wrong. We have worked to curb corruption by bringing in timely laws,” the former Karnataka chief minister said.

Gowda also expressed displeasure at the BJP high command and asked the BJP leaders at the Centre to take state BJP leaders into confidence for future course of action in Karnataka. “We may have lost in the assembly elections. But we will deliver in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Please take the state leaders into confidence. It is not right to ignore the state and not choosing the opposition leaders of the state,” he added.

In his political career spanning 30 years, Gowda served as a member of Karnataka legislative assembly for 10 years, MP for 20 years even as he was also the Chief Minister of Karnataka for one year. Gowda also remained the president of Karnataka BJP for four years and cabinet minister in the Narendra Modi government for seven years.