He contested as the Janata Dal (Secular) candidate from Tumkur parliamentary constituency in the ongoing elections and was confident of winning the seat. Being a former minister and a leader of backward classes as well, he was elected as the state JD(S) president in the month of September 2013 after H D Kumaraswamy called it a day to give up his position. While Mr. Krishnappa served at the Varthur constituency for almost four courses, that is twenty years in total and worked as a Minister for Animal Husbandry, Social Welfare, Horticulture, and Sugar. 