Former IAS Officer, Karnataka Tourism Minister J Alexander Quits Congress After Being Repeatedly Ignored

Karnataka Congress has suffered a major setback with well known Christian leader and former tourism minister J Alexander resigning from the party, without giving away any specific reasons, reports The New Indian Express.

Born in Kerala, Alexander joined Indian Administrative Services (IAS) after cracking the civil services exam. He became part of the Karnataka cadre and went on to serve the state for 33 years eventually rising up to the rank of chief secretary of the state, before joining the Congress party.

He was ignored by the Congress for the past three assembly terms from Sarvagnanagar and the Congress ticket was bagged by K J George. Recently, his name was also doing the rounds for Bengaluru Central constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, but there too his name did not make it to the final list.

Having been elected from Sarvagnanagar earlier, he had served as the tourism minister in erstwhile Congress government. About resigning from the party, he said that it was his personal decision, and he is busy as his wife Delphin Alexander is hospitalised.

Asked if he intended to join the BJP, he said, “I have not decided that as of now.’’