Upendra could quit his party

BENGALURU: Differences have cropped between members in actor Upendra’s Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janata Party (KPJP) over selection of candidates. The party was launched in October last year, and barely six months on, Upendra and the party’s founder-general secretary, D Mahesh Gowda, are at loggerheads. Sources say the actor is now mulling future plans, including floating a new party or joining the BJP.
“The recent development is hurtful. I will decide on future course of action after consulting my supporters on Tuesday,” Upendra said.

It all began when the party began the exercise of selecting candidates last week. The process could not take off as the party president and the general secretary were not on the same page over the criterion of selection.

“Ever since the party was launched, Upendra was taking unilateral decisions and he behaved as if the party is one-man show,” Gowda said. “When we got autorickshaw symbol for the party, he chose to announce it on his own. He never involved the office bearers in his tour programmes. Finally, we had to tell him that we cannot put up with his undemocratic attitude.”

Upendra, however, denied the charges.