Two senior Congress MLAs, Umesh Jadhav from Chincholi and Nagendra from Ballari Rural may join the BJP. With the Lok Sabha elections less than two months away, this move could come as a jolt for the Congress
Bengaluru: Two prominent Congressmen from Karnataka are likely to shift their loyalties to the BJP. If sources are to be believed, Umesh Jadhav, MLA from Chincholi and Ballari Rural MLA Nagendra will in all probability bid goodbye to the Congress.
But what’s the reason?
Well, Jadhav is allegedly upset with senior Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge. Sources say that Jadhav is vexed with the fact that Kharge needlessly interferes in his affairs and strives to promote his son Priyank Kharge.
On the other hand, Nagendra points fingers at none other than DK Shivakumar, another prominent Congress leader who is also touted to be the trouble-shooter. Just like senior Kharge, Shivakumar also faces the allegations that he needlessly pokes his nose into the political affairs of Ballari.
In the last by-polls held in Ballari, it was Congress’ VS Ugrappa who won with an excess of two lakh votes. But the victory had its disastrous effects as Nagendra and his coterie felt that an outsider Ugrappa was placed on a pedestal by another outsider Shivakumar, sidelining the locals.
Now, sources say that Nagendra wants to bring in his brother Venkatesh Prasad who wants to contest the Lok Sabha polls in the next two months, on a BJP ticket. In fact, sources add that Nagendra spoke to senior leaders in the state Congress about his brother’s candidacy for the by-polls, but the talks didn’t fructify. This has ultimately led him to jump ship.
It might be recalled that the Jarkiholi brothers, Satish and Ramesh, too were not happy with Shviakumar’s alleged interference in Belagavi politics. And as they made their displeasure known, he had deputed his younger brother DK Suresh to soothe fraying tempers.
Sources now suggest that Jadhav might join the BJP when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to visit Kalaburagi on March 6.
Political analysts feel that the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka may further be weakened with the MLAs quitting.
“This is not unexpected. They had been airing their grievances publicly. As the numbers come down further, the tottering coalition government will feel the jitters again. Other disgruntled elements in the party might feel emboldened with this move,” says Hemanth Kumar, a senior political analyst.
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