A person qualified to become the chief minister should contest the general elections and not a byelection, he told reporters after participating in the inauguration of the Bettada Ranganathaswamy (Gummattiraya) temple at Ijjalaghatta of Nagamangala taluk in the district.

To a query whether it was inevitable for Kumaraswamy to contest the bypoll, Gowda said, pointing to MP Cheluvarayaswamy and legislator Puttegowda: “Why do you ask me? Ask these people. They did not listen to me when they joined hands with the BJP to form a government in the past. They don’t come to see me even now,” Gowda said.

Cheluvarayaswamy intervened to say that all decisions, including on Kumaraswamy contesting the bypoll, would be taken only after consulting Gowda.