BENGALURU: Weeks ahead of the Assembly election in the state, senior BJP leader and Shivamogga MLA K S Eshwarappa has made a surprise announcement that he is quitting electoral politics.
He is the second senior leader to do so after former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa. A few days ago, S A Ravindranath and Haladi Srinivas Shetty too had announced their retirement from electoral politics.
In a letter to party national president J P Nadda, Eshwarappa has said that he is voluntarily withdrawing from electoral politics and requested that his candidature should not be considered for any constituency.
“In the 40 years of my political career, I have grown from a booth-level leader to hold various positions including Deputy Chief Minister and I am thankful to the party leadership for it”.
It is widely speculated that Eshwarappa is withdrawing from the fray to make way for his son K E Kantesh. He had even dropped hints that he may not be contesting the upcoming Assembly polls.
Eshwarappa, a senior Kuruba community leader which forms a substaintial voting bloc, has earlier been Opposition leader and a member of the Legislative Council too.