Veteran Congress leader Veerappa Moily announces retirement from electoral politics

Bengaluru, April 8: Veteran Congress leader, former Union Minister, and former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerappa Moily on Monday announced his retirement from electoral politics.

"This is the end of my electoral politics. It’s finished at this stage," the 84-year-old leader, who was reportedly a ticket aspirant from Chikkaballapur Lok Sabha Seat, said.

However, the party allotted the seat to Youth Congress leader Raksha Ramaiah.

Moily said that he was not an aspirant for the Chikkaballapur Lok Sabha seat.

"I had made it clear to the party high command. There is no question of disappointment. I got elected as a Lok Sabha member twice from the Chikkaballapur seat. I got an opportunity to serve as a Union Minister as well and against this background, I am finding it difficult to leave the constituency," he said.

"My supporters should not be saddened over the development of the party denying the ticket to me. They should work for the victory of the National Youth Congress Vice President Raksha Ramaiah," he appealed.

"I am not expecting any posts or designation from the party in the coming days. The party had honoured me with various positions already," Moily maintained.

"As a writer, orator, I will play my role remaining outside the Parliament," he said.

He reiterated that he had no expectations from the party.

"I have been in power at the state and national levels for five decades. My intention is to strengthen the roots of this country and the Congress can only ensure this," he said.

Moily had served as the Chief Minister between 1992 and 1994. He also held various portfolios, including Law and Justice, Power, Corporate Affairs, Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Environment and Forests, in the UPA government led by PM Manmohan Singh.

Moily also penned the epic 'Sri Ramayana Mahanveshanam' in five volumes in Kannada. His works have been translated into Hindi and English.

Hailing from a humble background from the oppressed class, Moily is hailed as the pioneer of the Common Entrance Test (CET) for creating opportunities for students from oppressed and poor backgrounds to enter engineering and other professional courses. He was also one of the senior members of the Congress and was a key adviser to then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.