The Congress and the Aam Admi Party (AAP) bring in leaders and workers from other parties.
By Sourasis Bose and Kaustubh Bagalkote
Even though the Bengaluru weather is inclement and irregular, there were no irregularities in the political environment of Karnataka as members from Janata Dal (Secular), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Prajakeeya Party switched allegiances ahead of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and state assembly elections.
Several JD(S) and BJP members from Channapatna joined the Congress in the presence of KPCC President DK Shivakumar on Thursday.
The Congress also inducted Prasanna P. Gowda, a businessman and an activist from the Channapatna constituency. He said, “The Siddaramaiah Government worked for the poor . . . I am not a politician, I want to work for the people.” He added that the BJP is trying to create a communal divide and he would like to bring everyone together.
Shivakumar said that several other JD(S) and BJP leaders are in contact with the Congress.
Gowda said that he was earlier approached by the JD (S) to contest from the Doddaballapur assembly constituency in 2023 state elections. However, a meeting with D K Shivakumar and his brother DK Suresh, the Member of Parliament from Bengaluru Rural, convinced him to join the Congress.
Former Chief Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy is the current MLA from Channapatna. In 2018, Channapatna witnessed a three-way fight between BJP, JD (S) and Congress. Former ministers CP Yogeshwara and HM Revanna, fought for the BJP and Congress respectively.
Moving to AAP
Apart from Congress, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) also inducted new members to their ranks. Mohan Kumar quit the Prajakeeya Party and joined the AAP today in the presence of Karnataka AAP president, Mohan Dasari.
Speaking at a press conference at the Bangalore’s Press Club, Dasari said that Mohan Kumar has done many social services as the President of the Yeshwantpura Apartments Association.
“The party has decided to fight all the seats of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) because the BBMP needs capable and clean governance,” Dasari said.
Amrita Suni, member of the Prajakaya party and a human rights activist also joined the party. “Amrita Suni has been involved in various anti-corruption campaigns,” said Dasari.
Kumar and Suni said that they appreciated Delhi chief minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal’s transparent and populist regime in Delhi and Punjab.
Corruption charges
D K Shivakumar also attacked the BJP about the anti-conversion ordinance that the state government is trying to pass. He said that it is just a diversion from the Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) scam and alleged corruption in contract allocation.
Earlier, on Tuesday, Shivakumar claimed that Minister of Higher Education CN Ashwath Narayan met Congress Working President MB Patil before the supposed Karnataka cabinet reshuffle. On Thursday, he said that Narayan is talking about him as it is keeping him in the news.
Ganesh Karnik, the spokesperson for BJP said that Patil and Narayan have both refuted Shivakumar’s claims. He said, “The working president and the state president are contradicting each other. The Congress wants to acquire some media space. They are raising such irrelevant issues because of that.”
