Madikeri: Miffed over being sidelined by the party, veteran leader and former Minister B.A. Jeevijaya quit the Congress on Tuesday.

Announcing this at a press meet here yesterday, Jeevijaya, who hit national headlines when he defeated the then Congress Chief Minister R. Gundurao from Somwarpet Assembly segment in the Jan. 1983 Assembly polls, said that he has tendered his resignation to the KPCC President. Claiming that he was ignored by the Congress for long, he said he had suggested the Congress High command to allot the Kodagu Assembly tickets to locals. But  his suggestion was totally ignored, which left him miffed, he said.

Noting that he too was an aspirant along with advocate Chandramouli for Madikeri Assembly Constituency, Jeevijaya said that he was disappointed that the party has given the ticket to an outsider.

Asserting that his support in the May 10 Assembly polls will be for local candidates, he however, refrained from naming the candidate whom he was going to support. Stating that he has fought and seen several elections in his over four decade-long political career, the former Minister predicted that the Assembly polls will throw up a hung Assembly again, with no party getting a majority of its own.

He further said that he happened to meet Madikeri BJP candidate Appachu Ranjan at a ceremony at a village, where the two held talks for some time. He feels that there is nothing wrong in supporting Ranjan, who has said he is contesting the polls for the last time, he added.