With the countdown for polling in Karnataka having begun, it is the season of party hopping. More than a dozen leaders have quit the BJP and the JD(S) and joined the Congress over the past few days.
Political commentators refer to candidates hopping parties on the eve of polls as ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Rams’, referring to the 1967 incident of the late politician Gaya Lal, an MLA from Haryana, flitting in and out of the Congress thrice in a few days.
Quitting posts
MLAs and MLCs have quit their membership of Lower and Upper Houses of the Legislature, and joined the Congress. In the latest case, Kudligi BJP MLA N.Y. Gopalakrishna resigned from the Assembly membership. He is all set to join the Congress. According to sources, he had held talks with the KPCC top brass. Mr. Gopalakrishna, who won four times on Congress ticket, would likely return to his home constituency Molakalmuru.
Last week, two BJP MLCs, Puttanna and Baburao Chinchansur, quit their posts and joined the Congress. The four-time MLC Mr. Puttanna, belonging to the Vokkaliga community, has been given ticket to contest from Rajajinagar in Bengaluru. He is likely to face BJP veteran S. Suresh Kumar.
Kharge factor
The five-time MLA Mr. Chinchansur, who served as Minister in the previous Congress governments, hails from Koli community in Kalaburagi. Owing to differences with the Kharge family, he had quit the party in 2018 and joined the BJP. He seems to have played a crucial part in the defeat of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge in 2019. The Congress is likely to give him ticket to contest from the Gurmitkal constituency. Nagangouda of the JD(S) won from here in 2018.
Another BJP leader Mohan Limbikai, former MLC, joined the Congress. Mr. Limbikai, Lingayat leader from Hubballi, was considered a close confidant of BJP veteran B.S. Yediyurappa. The Congress will field him against the BJP’s likely candidate Aravind Bellad in Hubballi-Dharwad (West) constituency.
The Congress roped in former BJP MLA U.B. Banakar and offered ticket in Hirekerur. His opponent would be Agriculture Minister B.C. Patil (BJP). Another former BJP MLA from Kollegal, Nanjundaswamy, was admitted to the Congress. His name is likely to figure in the second list. Former BJP MLA V.S Patil from Yellapur too joined the grand old party. He would be pitted against Minister Shivaram Hebbar.
Upset over denial of ministerial berth in the government, BJP MLC A.H. Vishwanath has sided with the Congress. Former Minister H. Nagesh, who won as an Independent in 2018, has been given ticket to contest from Mahadevapura (SC) in Bengaluru.
Seat offered to Siddaramaiah
A couple of days ago, S.R. Srinivas of the JD(S) joined the Congress. He was elected three times on JD(S) ticket and once as an Independent from Gubbi. Earlier, Kolar MLA K.R. Srinivas joined the Congress. He had offered his seat to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Arsikere MLA K.M. Shivalinge Gowda has dropped enough hints of quitting the JD(S) to contest polls as the Congress nominee. Earlier, Y.S.V. Datta (JD-S) joined the Congress and he is expected to get ticket from Kadur. MLA Belli Prakash will be the BJP candidate from there.
Between brothers
Madhu Bangarappa, another former JD(S) MLA, joined the Congress and has been given ticket to contest from Sorab. His opponent will be his brother and MLA Kumara Bangarappa (BJP).
KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar has said that there is a “long list of people” willing to join the Congress and it will be “made known in stages.”
