Karnataka BJP MLA Gopalakrishna joins Congress ahead of Assembly elections

Several BJP and JD(S) leaders joining the Congress ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka is an evidence to prove that public sentiment is in favour of the party and it will come to power, its state unit President D K Shvakumar said on Monday.

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 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 a right track, towards power," Shivakumar said.

Speaking to reporters here, he noted Gopalakrishna resigned as BJP MLA and joined the Congress; similarly JD(S) MLA K M Shivalinge Gowda too has resigned and will be joining the party soon.

BJP and JD(S) legislators joining the Congress voluntarily is a "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.

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 had 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, Gopalakrishna after joining said he will work for the party's victory in Ballari, Chitradurga and Vijayanagara districts.

He said he will 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 -- had quit from 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.