Mysuru (Karnataka), April 13 (IANS): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met his political rival, veteran BJP leader V. Srinivas Prasad, at his residence in Mysuru on Saturday after 7 years and sought support for Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

Srinivas Prasad is the sitting BJP MP from Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha seat. It is with the support of Srinivas Prasad that the BJP was able to tap into the influential Dalit vote bank in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts.

However, Prasad has announced his retirement from politics ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha

“I told him that he initially was with the Congress for a long time and asked him to have sympathy for the Congress. Prasad and I have been good friends for a long time,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said.

Srinivas Prasad said that the Chief Minister had come to inquire about his health.

“Since, I have retired from politics, he has come to inquire about my health. For various reasons, we had separated for a long time. We met again today and did not discuss politics. We remembered good times. I was a minister in his cabinet and he was close to me. Naturally, he asked for support for the Congress,” Srinivas Prasad said.

When asked about attending Prime Minister Modi’s programme on Sunday in Mysuru, Srinivas Prasad said that he had retired from politics.

“I won’t attend any political campaigning or political programmes of any political party,” he said.

When asked whether he got an invitation to attend the programme, he stated, he has not received an invitation and it won’t come. “I will also not attend it,” he said.