BENGALURU: He turned 85 on Monday, but the former 'eminence grise' of Karnataka's politics chose to describe himself as a "freshman" to avoid further embarrassment to his new political home, the BJP.
Mr. S M Krishna, who broke tradition to offer pooja at Annamma Devi temple and not the Lord Shiva temple in M M Hills or in Tirupathi as is his wont on his birthday, drew an analogy of his freshman years as a student in the United States, to his current status as member of BJP, to steer clear of the tussle between state unit president B S Yeddyurappa and leader of Opposition K S Eshwarappa.
While scores of BJP workers thronged his residence, and senior BJP leaders including Union ministers H N Ananth Kumar and D V Sadananda Gowda, Mr Yeddyurappa and leader of Opposition in the Assembly Mr Jagadish Shettar greeted him over the phone, while former deputy CM R Ashok, greeted him in person, from the Congress, there was a stony silence!
Driving home the point that he may have to now cede space to juniors, posters outside his residence described Mr Krishna and Mr Yeddyurappa as "sons of the soil of Mandya," architects of modern day Karnataka!
