Karnataka Elections: BJP office turns into Congress office

The D-Day for the Karnataka Elections is fast approaching, with the people all set to votes for the preferred leaders.

In a curious turn of events, the BJP office in Maddur taluk — hometown of the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna — has more or less transformed itself into the Congress office. In fact, many relatives and staunch supporters of Mr. Krishna quit the BJP on Saturday to rejoin the Congress.

Krishna, however, has no plans to return to the Congress, according to his supporters. Krishna joined the BJP in March 2017.

BJP failed to optimize Krishna’s vast political experience, prompting many of his followers to rejoin the Congress, said T.S. Sathyananda, one of his supporters and a member of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. Prominent among those who have rejoined the Congress is Krishna’s nephew S. Gurucharan. Many taluk panchayat members too joined him in the exodus.

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“We are launching campaign for Congress candidates across Mandya district from Sunday from Somanahalli, Krishna’s village,” said Sathyananda. He said Krishna was informed about his relatives quitting the BJP.

Earlier this week, Maddur BJP unit’s president Lakshman joined the Congress along with his supporters. Subsequently, the board outside the party’s office was changed and pictures of top leaders were removed, to turn it into a Congress office. “Adjustment politics” of the State BJP leaders to help the JD(S) candidate promoted them to quit, said sources close to Lakshman.

Following the development, BJP candidate for Maddur Satish has opened the party office at Leelavathi Layout in the town.