Top brass told DV Sadananda Gowda not to contest polls: B S Yediyurappa
BENGALURU: Former chief minister and Bangalore North LS member DV Sadananda Gowda bid farewell to electoral politics one day ago. Following this, former chief minister B S Yediyurappa issued a statement on Thursday, suggesting that Gowda’s decision not to contest elections anymore came in response to instructions from the BJP high command.
Yediyurappa told reporters, “High command leaders told him (Sadananda Gowda) not to contest polls, following which he made this decision. However, he will continue to be actively involved in the party organization.” When asked about whether Gowda chose to step back due to the party’s reluctance to field him in the 2024 polls, Yediyurappa responded with this statement.
In response, Gowda clarified that the decision was entirely his own. He explained, “I had wanted to retire from electoral politics after 25 years, even during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. However, the high command insisted that I should contest. I have made this decision in the best interest of the party, allowing a new candidate to participate in the 2024 polls.”
He further stated, “The party has given me everything, and it’s important not to be too selfish. My focus now is on how I can contribute to the party.” Gowda emphasized that his decision, made six months before the elections, would facilitate the introduction of a fresh contender. Meanwhile, former Deputy Chief Minister Dr. C N Ashwath Narayan noted that Sadananda Gowda had expressed his desire to retire from electoral politics on several occasions and had now acted upon it.
In a previous announcement made in Hassan on Wednesday, Gowda expressed his contentment with the various positions the party had offered him throughout his 30-year political career, including deputy leader of the opposition in the assembly, party state chief, chief minister, MP, and central minister. He stated, “I am a beneficiary second only to B S Yediyurappa.”
It’s worth noting that when Gowda traveled to New Delhi on October 25 upon receiving an invitation from the national president JP Nadda, the latter was unavailable for a meeting. Instead, Gowda met with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is in charge of elections in Karnataka.
