Bangalore: JDS Loses Two More Wickets - Katti, Gowrishanker Join BJP
DHNS
Bangalore, Aug 19: Its now seven "down" for the opposition with two more JD(S) legislators - former minister Umesh Katti and first time MLA D C Gowrishankar - quitting their parent party and joining the BJP on Monday.
Their resignations come on the eve of the BJP state executive meeting to be held on Tuesday in Bangalore where consolidation of the party strength in the Legislative Assembly is prime on the agenda for discussion.
It was first Katti who put in his papers, followed by Gowrishankar, son of former minister C Chennigappa, in the evening. Both of them submitted their resignation from Assembly membership - Katti from Hukkeri constituency in Belgaum and Gowrishankar from Madhugiri in Tumkur - to Speaker Jagadish Shettar and then drove to the BJP party office in Malleswaram to be welcomed to the party fold by state president D V Sadananda Gowda.
Katti said he was quitting the JD(S) as he was disgusted with the internal affairs of the party. Asked if he was a ministerial aspirant, Katti said “I joined the BJP inspired by the programmes of Yeddyurappa. I have been a minister in the J H Patel cabinet and seen it all. But if the party wishes to give me ministerial responsibility I will accept it or discharge my duties as party worker” He also said the JD (S) had become the family party of Deve Gowda. In protest against the feudal attitude of Gowda, he has quit the party, Katti said. Gowrishankar said the only motive behind his decision was to take up developmental work in his constituency being in the ruling party. According to sources, Gowrishankar will soon be made Chairman of either BDA or KSRTC.
Interestingly, Gowrishankar, a few weeks ago had told Deccan Herald, that he will not quit the JD (S) as his constituency people may not like it. He had claimed that he was getting all the support from the government to carry on development work in his constituency. But on Monday evening after stepping into the BJP office, he said, “my leaders are Yeddyurappa and Reddy. It is impossible to improve my constituency if I am in the Opposition”.
His father Chennigappa, former minister and one-time close confidant of H D Deve Gowda, is also hobnobbing with the BJP but he has not announced when he would join the BJP.
The number of party hoppers to join the BJP has now increased to seven - four from the JD (S) and three from the Congress. Meanwhile, the BJP is said to have approached two more opposition legislators - V Somanna and Baburao Chinansur (all Congress) to join the saffron fold.
Deve Gowda reacts
JD (S) National President H D Deve Gowda refused to react to the development. He said, “I have nothing to say and you know why I am saying this”.