Former Karnataka CM & BJP Leader SM Krishna Retires From Active Politics

Bengaluru: The 90-year-old former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior BJP leader SM Krishna announced his retirement from active politics.

His announcement to quit politics comes just months before the assembly elections in Karnataka.

“I am 90 years old now, we should be aware of age. You can’t act like a 50-year-old in 90. That’s why I am withdrawing from public life,” said SM Krishna.

But he added, “It does not mean that I will become a monk completely. If the party or the leaders ask for advice on party organisation, I will give that”

He did not feel that he would be ignored by the BJp after his retirement announcement. “There is no question of ignoring me when I am choosing to retire,” he added.

SM Krishna was elected as an MP from Mandya in 1968 as a Congressman. He remained in Congress for more than four decades. He was a Central minister in Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh’s cabinets.

He also was the state Congress president and under his guidance, the Congress won in Karnataka in 1999. He was the CM of Karnataka till 2004. He also served as the governor of Maharashtra.

After being snubbed in Congress, he joined the BJP in 2017. He is also termed as the “modern architect of Bengaluru” as he was instrumental in making the city the IT capital of the country.