Former Minister C.H. Vijayshankar, who quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last month, is all set to join the Congress. Mr. Vijayshankar, who attended the wedding of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s nephew at Siddaramanahundi near here on Wednesday, announced that he has decided to join the Congress.
Making his first official announcement after resigning from the BJP, Mr. Vijayshankar told The Hindu that he will be joining the Congress “unconditionally”.
When asked whether the party had promised to give him a position or responsibility, Mr. Vijayshankar, who belongs to the Kuruba community, said it was up to the party to decide. “Since I have quit the BJP, I have no other alternative but to join another national party, which is the Congress,” he said.
Mr. Vijayshankar, also a former MP representing Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency from the BJP, said he was returning to his erstwhile party. “I am basically from the Congress,” he said, recalling his days as president of Hunsur Taluk Congress Committee and of the Mysuru district Congress Yuva Morcha in the 70s and 80s.
On Tuesday, R. Dhruvanarayan, MP for Chamarajanagar, and H.P. Manjunath, Hunsur MLA, called on Mr. Vijayshankar at his residence in the city and extended an official invitation to join the party. “When I met the Chief Minister at the wedding ceremony, he extended an invitation and I responded positively,” he said.
Rally in Hunsur
The Congress is planning to organise a rally in Hunsur shortly to mark Mr. Vijayshankar’s entry into the fold.
Mr. Vijayshankar had resigned from the BJP’s primary membership expressing disillusionment with the party leadership. He was particularly miffed with the leadership’s failure to resolve the confusion over the party candidate for the Periyapatna seat.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders said he may be considered for a ticket in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as former MP A.H. Vishwanath, also a Kuruba, has quit the Congress and joined the Janata Dal (Secular).
