'Not The One Who Goes Around With Begging Bowl': Ex-Karnataka Dy CM Laxman Savadi Quits BJP After Being Denied Ticket

Former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi on Wednesday announced his decision to resign as a Legislative Council member and from the primary membership of the BJP.

New Delhi: Former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi on Wednesday announced his decision to resign as a Legislative Council member and from the primary membership of the BJP, a day after the ruling party denied him a ticket to contest in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections.

After announcing his exit, Laxman Savadi said that he was not the one to go around with a begging bowl, adding that he is a self-respecting politician.

Speaking to ANI, he said, "I have made my decision. I am not the one who goes around with a begging bowl. I am a self-respecting politician. I am not acting under the influence of anyone."

BJP instead fielded sitting MLA Mahesh Kumathalli from the Athani constituency in the Belagavi district.

The BJP leader’s move came hours after the BJP high command excluded his name from the first list of candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections, which is scheduled to take place on May 10.

Savadi is a three-time MLA from Athani but lost in the 2018 elections to Kumathalli (then in the Congress).

"I have certainly taken a decision. I have decided to resign from the primary membership of the party," Savadi said in a press conference.

He further added that he will take a "strong decision" on Thursday evening and will start working from Friday.

Kumatalli was among the group of defectors who helped the BJP to bring down the Congress-JD(S) coalition and form its government under the leadership of B S Yediyurappa in 2019.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Karnataka assembly election, featuring 189 names, including 52 new faces.

There are 52 fresh candidates in BJP's first list for the Karnataka election. As many as 32 OBC candidates, 30 SC candidates, and 16 ST candidates, were given tickets. "There are doctors, IPS and IAS officers, 31 PG candidates, and eight women. There are five advocates, nine doctors, three academicians, two retired IAS and IPS officers, three retired government employees, and eight social workers in this list," said BJP's national general secretary Arun Singh.