Upset over being denied ticket, R Shankar resigns as MLC, Angara to quit politics

BENGALURU: Legislative Council member R Shankar, who was hoping for a BJP ticket from Ranebennur constituency, on Wednesday resigned from the membership of the Upper House of the state legislature over being denied the ticket.

Shankar arrived at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Wednesday, accompanied by his supporters, and submitted his resignation to Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti.

Earlier, he said he will definitely contest the upcoming Assembly election and addeed that he will decide later on whether he will contest from some other party or or as an Independent candidate. “Those who brought me into the party are not with me today. The party has given the ticket to someone who faces allegations of taking commissions and is involved in gambling. It was we who were responsible for the formation of the BJP government and I did all the work when it was time to bell the cat. Now the party has ignored me”, he alleged.

Minister S Angara has announced that he will retire from politics.

Meanwhile, Fisheries Minister and six-time MLA from Sullia, S Angara, has announced retirement from politics after he was denied a ticket for the upcoming Assembly election. The party has chosen Bhagirathi Marulya of the Adi Dravida community as its candidate. Angara said honest peope are not valued in politics and added that he will not campaign for the party candidate too.

Goolihatti Shekar said he was sidelined in favour of Yediyurappa’s supporters.

In Hosadurga, BJP MLA Goolihatti Shekar, who has been denied a ticket, has said that he will either constest as an independent or from G Janardhana Reddy’s Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Party (KRPP).

Shekar, who met his supporters on Wednesday, said, “I have been sidelined in order to promote B S Yediyurappa’s supporters. In 2008, the party needed me to come to power and they gave me charge of the Bhovi development corporation in which there was a Rs 100 crore scam while all the big posts went to Yediyurappa’s men. I will file my nomination on April 17 or 19 after deciding whether I will contest as an independent or from KRPP”, he said.