Pics: Pareekshith Shet
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (PS)

Updated

Udupi, Dec 4: Amid reports that former MP Jayaprakash Hegde would be joining BJP soon, over a hundred of his supporters on Sunday December 4 officially entered the JD(S) in a programme held at Muloor here.

The new entrants were welcomed into the party in the presence of JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister Deve Gowda.

It is learnt that when J P Hegde was in the Congress earlier, the same supporters were members of the Youth Congress. However, when Hegde parted ways after he was expelled by the party, they too distanced themselves from the Congress and continued their support to Hegde.

Over the last few days, with reports rife about the possibility of Hegde joining the BJP, and himself confirming the same, the supporters decided to enter the JD(S) fold.

The new JD(S) entrants clarified that they were not against Hegde, but did not want to join BJP nor go back to Congress, and instead decided to join a 'secular party like JD(S)' as they had no other option. 

Among those who joined JS(S) was former Youth Congress leader Rohit Karamballi.

Speaking to daijiworld, Karamballi said, "We are not doing this because J P Hegde is joining BJP. He is free to join any party. We did not want Congress, so the only option left was JD(S), as we did not want to join BJP. What Congress did to J P Hegde was injustice, so we had decided to distance ourselves from that party. Some more will join JD(S) in the next one month. 

In a move that is likely to boost BJP's presence in the coastal region, J P Hegde and independent MLA from Kundapur Halady Srinivas Shetty have reportedly confirmed that they would be backing the party soon.

Not my supporters: J P Hegde

Meanwhile, J P Hegde denied that those who had joined the JD(S) were his supporters. In a clarification, Hegde said that they were mere Congress workers who had switched over to JD(S), and had nothing to do with him.