BJP contestant worships cow before voting

Ballari (Karnataka), May 12 (IANS) BJP candidate B. Sreeramulu on Saturday worshipped a cow and then visited temples before voting in the Karnataka Assembly election.

Sreeramulu is contesting from two seats -- Badami in Bagalkot and Molakalamuru (reserved) in Chitradurga district.

"He (Sreeramulu) performed 'gau puja' at his residence in Ballari for nearly one hour and then visited two temples before casting his vote," a Bharatiya Janata Party leader told IANS.

Sreeramulu is contesting against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Badami. The 47-year-old was the state's Health and Family Welfare and Tourism Minister from 2008-11.

He quit the BJP and the cabinet in 2011 protesting against the alleged ill-treatment by the party to his friend, mentor and then cabinet minister and mining baron G. Janardhan Reddy.

He rejoined the BJP and contested the Lok Sabha election in 2014.