DVS pours his heart out, says he leveraged Vokkaliga community support only for BJP

Puttur, July 16: Former chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda on Monday pour out his pent up emotions before a massive gathering of fans and Bharatiya Janata Party workers in the town on Monday

Accepting the heart-touching felicitation organized by his well-wishers at Buntara Bhavan here, Mr Gowda not only expressed his gratitude to the party workers for their cooperation during his tenure as CM, but also dedicated his unforgettable tenure to them.

Addressing the party workers Mr Gowda brushed aside the allegations of involving in caste politics and said that he tried to leverage Vokkaliga community support at community meets only for the saffron party and never for self.

He regretted that he did not receive full cooperation from ministerial colleagues when he did not entertain their files outside norms. However he clarified that he did not face any administrative troubles during his 331-days tenure as CM.

“I could have prolonged my tenure by a few more days if I wanted so. "Normally, MLAs desert a CM who puts in his papers. But, I had the support of 63 MLAs after I decided to quit and could have easily mustered support of another 12-odd MLAs and bolster my numbers in the number game that was being played out," he said.

Mr Gowda turned emotional when he went on to claim himself as the biggest beneficiary of BJP.

Recalling the experiences as CM he said mentioned that introduction of 'Sakala' was the happiest moment of his tenure, while the death of V S Acharya was the saddest moment.

He also said that he thought of stepping down crossed his mind at least three times in past 11-months when things did not go as expected. “However, this time I voluntarily quit in order to end instability in government that was hampering drought relief efforts in the state”, he said.

“It was at my insistence that the party leadership decided to take a call on effecting a change in leadership after I explained to them that political imbroglio in the state unit of the party is having a bearing on daily administration," he clarified.

Mr Gowda also said that he would extend full cooperation to his successor Jagadish Shettar and give him any advice and suggestions if sought.

Earlier Mr Gowda was taken to the venue in a grand open jeep procession.