Ex-minister's son says he is an aspirant for Varuna ticket

"I am a ticket aspirant for Varuna constituency in Mysuru district," said BJP leader M G Prakash, son of former Union minister late M S Gurupadaswamy.

Addressing media here on Monday, Prakash said, he joined the BJP last month. He has been handed over the responsibility of bringing the supporters of Gurupadaswamy, who was a towering politician in the party.

At present, Varuna constituency is represented by the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and he hopes to field his son Dr Yatindra from the constituency in the 2018 Assembly polls. Siddaramaiah is expected to go back to his old constituency of Chamundeshwari.

When asked, what if the party denies him a ticket, Prakash said that he will not be upset even if the party chooses another aspirant. "I would keep myself busy with party organisation works," he said.

Choosing BJP

Prakash disclosed that the Congress leaders had been inviting him to join the party for three years. "I am close to the CM and Minister H C Mahadevappa. I do not have any difference of opinion with them, personally. But I chose to join the BJP as the Congress' national leadership is not strong. Rahul Gandhi is nowhere equal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

"I was into business as my father had warned me that politics had turned dirty. Now, I have joined the BJP and assure clean politics. I was inspired by Modi's development policy and Yeddyurappa's leadership qualities," he said.

Background

Gurupadaswamy, a freedom fighter, was part of the Quit India Movement in 1942. Then, he was a member of All India Students' Federation. After Independence, he joined the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party. In the 1952 general election, he was elected from Mysore dual Lok Sabha constituency along with N Rachiah of the Congress. After the merger of his party with the Socialist Party to form the Praja Socialist Party, he became general secretary of the Parliamentary Party Committee. Later, he joined the Congress.

He was a member of the Rajya Sabha for four-term from Mysore, 1960-1966, from Uttar Pradesh, 1966-1972 and from Karnataka, 1984-1990 and 1990-1992.

He was the Minister of State for Atomic Energy in 1967 in Indira Gandhi's Cabinet. Then, he was the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Community Development and Cooperation till 1969.

In 1969, when Congress split, Gurupadaswamy resigned from Indira Gandhi's cabinet. He became the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha in 1971. He was one of the founders of the Janata Party.

Gurupadaswamy also served as the Minister of Petroleum and Chemicals in V P Singh's ministry from 1989- 1990. He died on May 10, 2011.

DH News Service