Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Mar 17:  Ex-chief minister S M Krishna clarified here on Monday March 16 that personally he is not inclined to contest the election on a Congress ticket from Bangalore South constituency. "However, if the high command so decides, I will contest the election," he said.

In an informal chat with reporters here, he expressed his desire to get involved with electioneering for the party, as his Rajya Sabha term has an unexpired term of five years. "If I resign from the Rajya Sabha now, as per calculations, the seat will go to other parties. So far, the high command has not asked my opinion," he explained.

To a question as to whether his status as a charismatic statesman, earned after working as the chief minister and governor, would not be dented by entering the election fray, he said as a sincere party worker, he would respect the decision of the party leadership. In reply to another question, he said issuing tickets with delay has been a practice prevalent in the Congress since long. He also expressed the opinion that the state Congress would have benefited if Ghulam Nabi Azad was made in charge of the party’s state unit earlier.

Criticizing current MP from the constituency Anant Kumar and the state BJP government, he said they have done nothing for Bangalore. "If at all I am asked to contest, I will seek votes on the basis of my performance between 1999 and 2004 and the failure of the BJP government," he disclosed. He also ridiculed the BJP, commenting that its governance is visible only in Vidhan Soudha and not anywhere else.