As assembly polls near, season of party hopping begins in Karnataka

Former Congress MP S. P. Muddahanumegowda, former bureaucrat B.H. Anil Kumar and Kannada actor-politician Shashikumar joined the BJP in Bengaluru on Thursday, in the presence of state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

With the assembly polls only seven months away, the season of party hopping is certainly here and this time, the BJP is hoping to boost its presence in the Old Mysuru region to scale up its tally of seats. While Muddahanumegowda, a Vokkaliga leader from Tumakuru and sitting MP had sacrificed his seat for JD(S)-Congress alliance candidate and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

However, the JD(S) supremo was defeated by BJP’s G.S. Basavaraju and Muddahanumegowda chose to distance himself from the party following allegations of him causing the defeat. In fact, Muddahanumegowda, who was previously with the JD(S) was denied a ticket to contest from Kunigal in the 2013 assembly elections, which led to him jumping ship. This time, he chose to join the BJP in the hope of contesting from Kunigal seat which is currently held by Congress MLA H.D. Ranganath, a relative of KPCC chief D.K. Shivakumar.

Anil Kumar, who served as the BBMP commissioner between August 2019 and July 2020, belongs to the Dalit community and nurses the ambition of contesting the assembly polls from Koratagere (Tumakuru), which is currently represented by former deputy chief minister and Congress MLA G Parameshwara.

Actor-turned-politician Shashikumar, who belongs to the ST (Valmiki) community, was the Chitradurga MP from JD(U) between 1999-2004. He joined the JD(S) in 2004 but quit the party to join the Congress in 2006.

“A pro-BJP wave is palpable in the state during the ‘Jana Sankalpa Yatra’. Leaders who have served the Congress party for years are joining the Modi-led BJP as they failed to get recognition in their party. They are confident of the double-engine government and the BJP ideology too. If a veteran like Muddahanumegowda’s joining the BJP has strengthened the party, Anil Kumar joining the BJP has brought honour to value-based politics as he has worked for the upliftment of the underprivileged while in service. Shashikumar was with the BJP and it is a homecoming as he feels both safe and respected here,” said Bommai.

Kateel claimed that soon, the Congress would shut shop in Karnataka. “The Congress party members are knocking on our (BJP) doors. It is also an indication of a major political change in the state. In fact, wherever Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra has passed through, the Congress has fared badly in the just concluded civic polls. This is signaling to the BJP winning the upcoming assembly elections. People have appreciated the Modi administration and the Bommai government has provided justice to the SC and ST communities (by enhancing the reservation) and sanitation workers (by regularising the jobs), which has led to a wave of change in people’s perception of the BJP ahead of the polls. We are confident of winning 150 seats.”

Muddahanumegowda hailed Modi as a leader who brought dignity to the prime minister’s post and said he was leading the country on the path of growth and development.

Shashikumar said he was impressed with the pro-people governance of Modi and Bommai governments.