Bache Gowda to retire from electoral politics

The BJP Lok Sabha member of Chikkaballapur, B N Bache Gowda has announced retirement from electoral politics since he has been told that he won’t be getting the ticket for next year's elections.

“The BJP has decided not to field anyone who has crossed 75 years for Lok Sabha polls. I have been categorically told that I will not be given ticket this time,” Bache Gowda said. He was speaking to reporters here on Tuesday.

He said party leaders have conveyed to him about “one family, one ticket” policy and therefore, he won’t be contesting the upcoming polls. “However, I will be active in politics,” he said.

Gowda said that his son Sharath Bache Gowda was an MLA from Congress. “But I have remained in the saffron party. I will not contest next Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket,” he added.

“During BJP rule, the Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru Rural district incharge ministers didn’t take me into confidence. Dr K Sudhakar and M T B Nagaraj didn’t utilise my services properly,” lamented Gowda.

“My name was mentioned in the invitations of government programmes for the sake of protocol. However, I was never invited for party programmes. The BJP didn’t utilise me properly,” he added.