In a major twist on the day of the Karnataka by-elections, Corporator R Vasanth Kumar from Sampangiramnagar in Shivajinagar assembly constituency of central Bengaluru re-joined Congress on Thursday, two days after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Kumar's rejoining Congress has come as a surprise to many as he had left the party to join the saffron fort days before the by-poll. The Corporator alleged that he was forcefully made to join the BJP.
Vasanth Kumar, while addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, said that a few BJP leaders took him to chief minister BS Yediyurappa's residence where he was made to join the saffron party. The Congress leaders have lambasted the BJP for continuing 'Operation Lotus' by poaching the party leaders.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao who was also present at the press meet along with Santhinagar MLA NA Haris. HE said that BJP pressurised Kumar to quit Congress. "It is an example of what BJP is doing. BJP is known to do all this. They do not have any confidence in their own leaders and they are just trying to poach our leaders. They have pressurised our corporator Kumar. However, he is back with us," he said.
He also slammed the BJP saying that the party has no confidence in its own leaders, due to which they have to continue poaching from other parties. Congress had also expelled three party workers, including two corporators MK Gunashekhar and Nethravati Krishnegowda, for 'anti-party' activities in Shivajinagar constituency.
A total of 10 party workers, including eight incumbent councillors from Yeshwanthpur, Shivajinagar and KR Puram, have been expelled by the Congress party.
Voting is underway at 15 assembly constituencies of the state and counting of votes will be done on December 9. The by-polls are a result of the rebel MLAs from Congress and JD(S) being disqualified from their respective parties after they quit the rebelled to join the BJP. The election results will decide the fate of the saffron government in the state headed by CM Yediyurappa.
