S.K. Venu Gopal, district general secretary of Hassan district BJP, resigned from the post stating that he was under pressure from former MLA Preetham Gowda to campaign for the Congress candidate in the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, against the party’s instructions.
Mr. Venu Gopal, who has been with the party for several years, submitted his resignation on Monday. When The Hindu contacted him over phone on Tuesday, he said that Mr. Gowda asked him to work for the Congress. “I have been with the BJP for many years. However, in Hassan constituency, many BJP workers are being forced to work for the Congress. I cannot work for the Congress,” he said.
The BJP has joined hands with the JD(S) and fielded JD(S) Lok Sabha member Prajwal Revanna for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat. Mr. Gowda had opposed Mr. Revanna’s contest for the Hassan seat. There were reports that he would not campaign for him, and he also instructed his supporters to campaign for Congress candidate, Shreyas Patel.
Mr. Venu Gopal said that as he had resigned from the post, he was an ordinary worker of the BJP and would campaign for the NDA candidate.
