Veteran congressman S M Krishna retires from active politics

Krishna has been disappointed over not being acknowledged by the Karnataka Congress in recent years.

Bengaluru, Jan 28: Former Chief Minister of Karnataka and union minister in the UPA regime S M Krishna has retired from active politics, say sources.

The congressman is said to have sent a letter to All India Congress Committee Chief Sonia Gandhi appraising her of his decision to quit active politics. In a letter to Gandhi, S M Krishna is said to have asked for him to be relieved from the party's primary membership.

S M Krishna had been disappointed over not being acknowledged by the Karnataka Congress in recent years. The shrewd politician who has also held office of external affairs minister is likely to announce his decision in a press conference on Sunday.

The 84-year-old veteran became an MP for the first time in 1968 from Mandya. He has served as a minister under Indira Gandhi as well as Rajiv Gandhi. In 1999 he led the Congress to victory in Karnataka and became the chief minister till 2004. Krishna has also discharged duty as governor of Maharashtra.

Krishna was made the minister for external affairs in Dr Manmohan Singh Cabinet and resigned from the post in 2012. The move was looked at as his return to state politics but the same never took off. People close to the leader claim that Krishna was dissapointed with the way he was treated in Karnataka Congress. His suggestions, involvement and expertise were not sought, sources added. He is credited with bringing in power reforms and giving digitalisation in governance when he was chief minister of Karnataka.

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