Ex-Congress Rajya Sabha MP KC Ramamurthy joins BJP

Former Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, KC Ramamurthy on Tuesday joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of senior party leaders at its headquarters in New Delhi.

"More and more people are joining the BJP. Today, Karnataka Rajya Sabha member KC Ramamurthy is joining ranks with us. He has resigned as Congress Rajya Sabha MP," BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said during a press conference here.

Ramamurthy, on the other hand, said that he had been killing his conscience during his time in Congress.

"I had to stay there and perform the job of a Parliamentarian, while most of the time killing my conscience. It was because the party diktats or whips were not in accordance with what I think as a person and what I agree with," he said.

Ramamurthy also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying his policies and programmes have been successful and respected across the country.

"At the end of the day, national interest, growth and mood of the nation have to be taken into consideration," he added.

Ramamurthy had, on October 16, submitted his resignation to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.

His resignation has brought down Karnataka's representation in the Rajya Sabha to 11 seats.