From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Nov 3: With senior Congress leader and former MP Muddahanume Gowda, who quit Congress recently, along with actor turned politician Shashi Kumar and retired IAS Officer B H Anil Kumar along with their followers joining BJP in the presence of State BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel in Bengaluru on Thursday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai claimed that it was a positive signal that the ruling party was emerging as a formidable force to win the next year’s assembly polls.
Speaking at the State BJP office after warmly welcoming the newly inducted leaders into the party, the chief minister said the newly inducted leaders had their own status in the State and their admission would add greater strength to BJP.
Karnataka’s political scene is taking a new direction with more and more leaders joining BJP, Bommai said pointing out that the Jana Sankalpa Yatra of the ruling party had received tremendous public response to BJP in Northern Karnataka. The BJP is working for the people and responding to their problems, he said.
Bommai claimed that the opposition Congress party is losing its hold in the State. The strength of Congress has come down from 120 seats to 79 in the assembly at present.
The assembly elections next year will reduce it still further, he said mentioning that the Congress was losing ground not only in Karnataka but in other States as well.
The chief minister said the leaders from Congress and other parties were joining BJP because they were disillusioned in the respective parties. The double-engine government of the BJP in the State and in Delhi is giving a new direction to country’s political life and future, he said.
Bommai said both Muddahanume Gowda and Shashi Kumar have made a mark in public life and said BJP would respect the newcomers and treat them with honour.
Ministers Govind M Karjol, Dr C N Ashwath Narayan and S T Somashekar, MLCs Laxman Savadi and C P Yogeshwar and others were present.
Sathya Sai Digital Museum Opened
The chief minister later inaugurated the Sri Sathyasai Divya Smriti Digital Museum at the Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ashram in Adugodi in Bengaluru.
Bommai hailed Sri Sathya Sai Baba for his work of the welfare of human beings and said he was a great divine force.
The chief minister mentioned that he became a vegetarian because of the influence of Sri Sathya Sai Baba after his visit to Prashanti Nilaya at Puttaparthi in 1998.
He also said Sathya Sai Baba had prayed for his mother when she was suffering from cancer and obtained relief. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had during his visit to Mysuru had mentioned that he was a devotee of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Bommai said.
BJP MLA Aravind Limbavali, Sathyasai Ashrama Trust Managing Director Rathnakar, Finance Department Additional Chief Secretary I S N Prasad and others were present.
The chief minister also inaugurated a multi-speciality Cancer hospital at Ramachandrapura in the city.