KP Nanjundi assured the upliftment of backward classes; Dr Gowda said he wanted to work for rural medicine.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader KP Nanjundi joined the Congress, and the Congress party leader Dr Shushrutha Gowda joined BJP today, with only two days left for the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka.
To Congress from BJP
Member of Legislative Council (MLC) and Vishwakarma leader KP Nanjundi resigned from his Legislative Council membership today, citing the Bhartiya Janta Party’s (BJP) alleged lack of support for his community. He officially joined the Congress with Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, D K Shivakumar, and Congress General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge, Randeep Singh Surjewala welcoming him.
Nanjundi said that when he left the Congress for the BJP, he hoped the party would help his community. He traveled the state with B.S. Yediyurappa, and represented the BJP in the Legislative Council. However, the party didn’t fulfill any demand of the community he said; they just talked about his Council position and ignored the community’s needs.
“Constitution change means reservation will be hit, so everyone should understand this. Other Backward Classes (OBC) were not given reservation. Backward class posts are vacant; no attempt is made to fill them. The Rs. 1000 crore assistance promised for the community did not come and no ministership was offered” Nanjundi said.
Surjewala said, “We will ensure that not only is there a caste census but we will also fulfill the entire quota of backward classes in government posts. If necessary, the party will also review the 50 percent limit of reservation so if more share is needed to be given to the underprivileged community, that is given.”
Nanjundi said, “I was in the Congress for 15 years and I had complete freedom. I went to BJP for some reasons, I did not go there for the MLC position.”
He further added, “During Corona, [the COVID-19 pandemic] our society was suffering. I asked to give INR 2000 to our workers, but it wasn’t in my hands. I will support the implementation of caste census. There should be change according to time, only then we can live. Justice should be given to our society, so I have joined the Congress party.”
In an exclusive interview with theSoftcopy, Nanjundi admitted that the BJP had helped him become an MLC. However, he added, “I am here for social justice, I want to live and work for the 187 most backward communities and want social justice for them.”
Deepak Thimaya, Political and Media Secretary of Congress said, “BJP doesn’t believe in the Constitution so Backward Classes will certainly feel concerned. But KP Nanjundi joining Congress is like a booster dose for us and all the Backward Class communities. It is a matter for us to celebrate.”
To BJP, from Congress
Dr Shushrutha Gowda quit the INC to join the BJP two days ahead of Lok Sabha polls, three weeks after he was appointed as one the general secretaries of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). Dr. Gowda said that his passion was to work for rural medicine. He said he believed that rural people in India should get free and quality healthcare. He said, “As a doctor, I can hardly help about 50,000 people, but as a BJP member I will be able to help millions.”
He also said, “I walked miles with Rahul Gandhi in Bharat Jodo Yatra. From Kanyakumari to Kashmir, I have interacted with people on ground level;but I believe it was more like a ‘Bharat Todo Yatra’. The Congress has lost its focus, energy, and enthusiasm to work.”
Dr C.N. Ashwath Narayan, ex-deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka and current Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Malleshwaram said that Congress should come out of appeasement politics. “We work as party members without any greed for position and serve the country,” he said.
Dr Gowda agreed and said that he has no greed for any position. He will serve the country to his fullest.
He also commented on Priyanka Gandhi’s comment in her recent speech on the caste census. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would do what is best for the country. “The party will only consider the caste census if it’s necessary,” he added.
On the tax devolution, Dr. Gowda said, “The center provides equal share of taxes to each state. If they are not able to make use of those taxes, and instead indulge in corruption, then it is not our problem.”
“You should vote for BJP, if you want a corruption-free India and the best medical infrastructure in the world,” Gowda said.
Dr. Ashwath Narayan remarked, “After elections, people will see who is holding a real ‘chombu’ in their hands.”
Dr Gowda is a neurosurgeon. He practiced medicine for 18 years in the United States of America. After returning to India in 2019, he joined the Congress party.
Ideologies and opportunists
Rakesh Kombra, a political analyst said, “Party members change parties before the elections because they all are opportunists and election is a great opportunity because with elections comes power. These are people who don’t go by ideology since they are soft on ideology, they can mold themselves in any other ideology easily.”
He added, “We also see big time leaders switching parties like last year we found Lakshman Savadi and Jagadish Shettar because they were denied party tickets and that is a very natural thing which happens before the elections. Once you know you don’t have any future for the next five years in your party then you use your contacts and move to another party and this generally happens before the elections and after the votes are counted.”
Reported by Nikita Joshi, Avantika Khajuria and compiled by Anupama
