To everyone's surprise, Gowda who had gone public with his anger against the BJP leader in the state, on Thursday let it be known that the Congress leaders had approached him and offered him a ticket to contest from any parliamentary constituency of his choice. But being a loyal soldier of the party which had given him the opportunity to be a MLC, a MP, the CM and an Union Minister, he had turned the Congress down.

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Laying all speculation to rest, Gowda, aka the 'Smiling CM', may have said he would not join the Congress but by mounting an attack on a veteran BJP leader (read B.S.Yediyurappa)  and two former deputy chief ministers (read Dr C N. Ashwathnarayana and R. Ashok) holding them responsible for denying him a ticket to contest from the Bengaluru North Lok Sabha constituency which he had been representing for last two terms, was a signal the BJP cannot afford to ignore.

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He has told his circle how aghast he was that his casual statement of retirement from active politics  was taken to show he was no longer interested in electoral politics, only to accommodate another candidate who had been shunted out from her current constituency. The party workers of Bengaluru North wanted him to contest again, but by that time the party had announced another candidate for his constituency. As a courtesy, the state leaders should have at least, consulted him before the change of  candidate, he said.

He also opened up about how he was unfairly targeted as a failed Union Minister and for not giving programs to Bengaluru City. "My detractors do not know it was me who gave the Suburban train service and Namma metro to Bengaluru. They talk as if I haven't done anything for the state capital. I know what I have done for Bengaluru City. I had announced several programs in the state budget ".

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Gowda' call for purification of the BJP has been echoed by several leaders including K.S. Eshwarappa, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, C.T. Ravi, insiders said, adding that this was being seen as the beginning of the 'party manthan' - the churn - to cleanse the party.