Senior Karnataka BJP leader K S Eshwarappa retires from electoral politics

Veteran Karnataka BJP leader and Shivamogga MLA K S Eshwarappa on Tuesday wrote a letter to the party National President J P Nadda announcing that he would retire from electoral politics. The letter has since gone viral on social media networking sites. He has also requested the party leaders not to consider his name for any Assembly constituency.

Speaking to mediapersons after writing the letter to Nadda, Eshwarappa said that the BJP has not yet gotten complete majority in Karnataka. People gave BJP an opportunity to govern the state without majority, he said, adding that his sole intention was to bring the BJP to power in Karnataka with a complete majority.

B S Yediyurappa served as chief minister four times, while Sadananda Gowda, Jagadish Shettar, and Basavaraj Bommai also became chief ministers from the BJP. However, the party did not get complete majority in earlier elections, Eshwarappa said. So, he decided to retire from electoral politics and help the party to get majority.

Eshwarappa also made it clear that he was ready to take any new responsibility given to him by the party leaders. He said he was confident that the party president would accept his decision.

Eshwarappa would turn 75 in June, the unofficial age bar in the BJP for leaders to contest polls and hold official positions.