From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Dec 15: Senior BJP leader and former MLA of Yellapur in Uttara Kannada district and district BJP treasurer Srinivas B Bhat along with their followers joined the Congress in the presence of State party president D K Shivakumar and opposition leaders in both houses Siddaramaiah and B
K Hariprasad respectively besides other leaders at the KPCC office on Thursday.

Former Congress minister R V Deshpande, KPCC Working President Saleem Ahmed and Uttara Kannada district Congress president Bheemanna Nayak and other leaders were also present.

Shivakumar warmly welcomed VS Patil and pointed out that he was presented the best legislator award by former president late Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. "We have worked together in the legislature and his father had served as Block Congress president,’’ he said.

The KPCC chief said the Congress party was happy to welcome BJP leaders from the constituencies, where the Congress MLAs had defected to BJP under its infamous 'Operation Kamala'.

Recently, another BJP leader from Hirekerur, who had served as the State BJP executive committee member and had contested in 2013 and 2018 elections from the BJP, had joined the Congress. He had narrowly lost by 1,480 votes in the last assembly polls.

Shivakumar said several leaders from other parties have evinced interest in joining Congress. Two other leaders were expected to join but their admission was delayed due to illness and many more applications will be cleared after the forthcoming legislature session starting at Belagavi on December 18.

DKS, Siddaramaiah to tour districts

The KPCC chief announced details of the forthcoming agitations being undertaken by the party starting with one at Vijayapura on the Krishna river water issue on December 30 and on January 2 over the failure of the Bommai government in the Mahadayi issue, which will be followed by a massive convention of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes on January 8.

He said a state-wide tour will be jointly undertaken by him and Siddaramaiah covering 20 districts, which will be followed by separate tours of all the 224 assembly constituencies.

While Siddaramaiah will be travelling in Northern Karnataka region, Shivakumar said that he will be touring the Southern parts and all senior leaders will be joining in the tours. The tour programme will be chalked out at Belagavi during the legislature session after consulting all the other leaders.

The KPCC chief denied media reports that he and Siddaramaiah will be undertaking helicopter tours and clarified that helicopter will be used only in emergency situations.

"We are travelling for the people and with the people to become the voice of the people and will fight for the people,’’ he declared.