BJP quitter in Karnataka NY Gopalakrishna MLA joins Congress

Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar said on Monday that many leaders leaving BJP and joining his party is "big evidence" that public sentiments are in favour of Congress and it will come to power and also the "failure of the double engine government", PTI reported.

He was speaking after inducting Kudligi BJP MLA N Y Gopalakrishna, who had resigned as a legislator on Friday, into the party.

"Several BJP and JD(S) leaders are knocking on our door, this is evidence to show that the voice of the people of the state is in favour of the Congress and that our march is on the right track towards power," Shivakumar said.

He said that just like Goplakrishna, JD(S) MLA K M Shivalinge Gowda, who has resigned lately, will also join Congress soon.

BJP and JD(S) legislators joining the Congress voluntarily is "big evidence" that people have decided for a change after the "failure of the double engine government", the KPCC chief further said.

"There is a big list of people wanting to join the Congress...the party has not assured tickets to anyone. We will screen every name, only if we are able to accommodate them we will consider," he said, adding that there are also some who are willing to join the party unconditionally to work for it.

Mr Gopalakrishna, a six-time MLA, was earlier with the Congress and had got elected from Molakalmuru Assembly segment in Chitradurga district four times, and once from Ballari, before joining the BJP and winning from Kudligi.

Over denial of Congress ticket in 2018, he joined the BJP ahead of the elections. The saffron party gave him a ticket from Kudligi in Vijayanagara district instead of Molakalmuru, as senior leader Sriramulu was fielded from there. He had won from there.

Recalling his and his family's long association with the Congress, Mr Gopalakrishna, after joining, said he will work for the party's victory in Ballari, Chitradurga and Vijayanagara districts.

He said he would work towards installing a Congress government once again in the state, and it is left for the party leadership to field him from the Molakalmuru Assembly segment.

Recently, two MLCs from BJP -- Puttanna and Baburao Chinchansur -- quit their Legislative Council membership to join the Congress.

JD(S) MLA S R Srinivas (Gubbi Srinivas alias Vasu) too joined the Congress after resigning as MLA on March 27.