Bengaluru: State Planning Commission Vice President (VP) B. J. Puttaswamy resigned from his post to become a pontiff.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has accepted his resignation. He is the first politician to take sanyasa deeksha. It is common to see pontiffs jumping into politics. But Puttaswamy has set a new trend.

82-year-old Puttaswamy will be the first pontiff of new matha formed for Ganiga community in the City outskirts.