Ex-K'taka Cong leader joins BJP ahead of state polls

Former Karnataka Congress leader Karthik Ghorpade, the son of late Congress veteran MY Ghorpade, joined the BJP in the presence of its senior leaders today, saying it was imperative to throw out the "corrupt" Siddaramaiah government in the state.
Karnataka, ruled by the Congress, will go to the polls this year.
Ghorpade, who hails from a royal family, met BJP chief Amit Shah at the party headquarters here, before joining the saffron party in the presence of its senior leaders from Karnataka, Union ministers Ananth Kumar and DV Sadananda Gowda among others.
Welcoming Ghorpade into the party, Union minister and the BJP's Karnataka election in-charge, Prakash Javadekar, said the former Congress leader had a huge support base in Bellary district and that he was joining the party with thousands of his followers.

"The winds in Karnataka are blowing in the BJP's favour. Yesterday Modiji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) addressed a massive rally in Bangalore to conclude the 80-day Parivartan Yatra of state BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa," he said, adding that the saffron party was all set to come to power in the southern state.
Ghorpade said his family had been with the Congress since independence, but he decided to join the BJP after being inspired by the vision of Prime Minister Modi.
He also mentioned about his long-time association with late BJP leader Vijaya Raje Scindia and her daughter Yashodhara Raje Scindia, who is currently a minister in the Madhya Pradesh government.