Ahead of 2023 Karnataka polls, Congress ex-MP Muddahanumegowda and actor Shashi Kumar also switch loyalties to BJP
CM Bommai terms new inductions into BJP ‘political consolidation’
BENGALURU:
It was a coup of sorts for Karnataka’s ruling party as former Congress leader SP Muddahanumegowda, actor-turned-politician Shashi Kumar and retired IAS officer Anil Kumar BH joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday. Significantly, the move comes five months ahead of the 2023 assembly elections in Karnataka. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who oversaw their inductions in the BJP, called the development “political consolidation”.
Others who were inducted into the saffron party at the BJP state HQ in the presence of the CM and state BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel included former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit’s special officer Ramesh Muniyappa, Congress Seva Dal state vice-president Hanumantrao Javali, former Karnataka State Coir Development Corporation chairperson G Venkatachaliah of the Congress, Samajwadi Party general secretary HY Ravikumar, the Raitha Sangha’s Sanjeev Reddy and Dalit leader Venkatesh Murthy.
Officer, now politico
Top former bureaucrat Anil Kumar was Karnataka’s additional chief secretary at the time of his retirement in July. According to sources, Kumar, who belongs to the SC ‘left’ community, is expecting a ticket from the Koratagere assembly constituency in Tumakuru district, and has already held several meetings with his local supporters. Recently, Anil Kumar had a housewarming and office inauguration ceremony at Koratagere which was attended by Tumakuru district-level BJP leaders. The former bureaucrat also reportedly has the backing of the RSS. Koratagere is currently represented by Congress veteran and former Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara.
Ex-MP’s angst
Muddahanumegowda, a senior leader and former MP from Tumakuru, had given a preview of his plans when he announced his decision to quit the Congress in September.
He was the only sitting Congress MP to be denied a ticket for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls – the state Congress had ceded the Tumakuru seat to its then alliance partner, the JD(S). In fact, JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda was the alliance’s choice for Tumakuru. A miffed Muddahanumegowda had filed his papers both as a Congress candidate and as an independent, but was persuaded by the party leadership to pull out of the race.
Of the 3 BJP ‘recruits’, Muddahanumegowda has already expressed his desire to contest the Kunigal assembly seat.
Shashi Kumar, a Kannada film actor, has been earlier associated with both the Congress and JD(S). Belonging to the ST community, he won the Chitradurga Lok Sabha seat in 1999 on a JD(U) ticket. Subsequently, he unsuccessfully contested the 2018 assembly polls from Hosadurga on a JD(S) ticket.
Referring to the new inductees into the BJP as “political consolidation”, Bommai said, “Polarisation is when there are two opposite directions. But now, there’s only one direction and that’s the BJP.” Assuring equal treatment to the inductees, the CM said, “Positions are decided by the party and not by any one person. Who should be given tickets will be decided by the parliamentary board.”
Kateel ‘sure’ of 150 seats
State BJP chief Kateel claimed that leaders from the Congress would join the BJP before next year’s assembly polls. “Everybody was saying things are difficult for the BJP, but the Bommai government’s decision to enhance reservation for SC/STs has changed the scenario,” he said. Kateel claimed that the BJP would achieve its stated target of winning 150 seats in Karnataka.
