BJP MP Srinivas Prasad announces political retirement on 75th birthday

Chamarajanagara: Chamarajanagar MP V Srinivas Prasad on Friday announced retirement from active politics. He said he would not not contest elections in the future.

The veteran BJP MP who turned 75 on Friday said, "To mark 50 years of my political career, a book is being released. I have recorded all the ups and downs of my career. With utmost satisfaction, I am announcing my retirement. In fact, I wanted to retire four years back. But due to compulsions, I was forced to take back my decision. Today's decision is final and I shall stick to this."

A Dalit leader, Srinivas Prasad is a six-time MP and two-time MLA and has served as minister in both central and the State governments.

He said, "I have documented all my political ups downs in the book and I am completely satisfied with my political career. I will now happily retire from electoral politics. I have still three years to go. After that it is enough. I have faced 14 elections and it's time to go."

Prasad who was revenue minister in the Siddaramaiah- led Congress government, had resigned as party MLA from Nanjangud, after he was dropped from the ministry. He then joined the BJP in 2016, but unsuccessfully contested the subsequent by-polls in 2017. He then contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency from BJP and won. Prasad had also had his stint in JD(U) and had served as Union Minister of State, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) chairman H V Rajeev greeted Prasad with a bouquet on his birthday.