Bengaluru: Karnataka’s ruling Congress party is aggressively advancing Operation Hast, with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announcing that 42 leaders are ready to join the party in the state.
At a media briefing alongside Ramappa Lamani, a prominent BJP leader from northern Karnataka who recently switched to the Congress in Bengaluru, Shivakumar disclosed that former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and former Deputy CM Laxman Savadi have presented an extensive list of leaders from both southern and northern Karnataka who express a desire to join the Congress.
“I have the list but would not disclose the names,” he asserted. “A group of BJP leaders is engaging with Congress legislators, and I am updated on the developments. However, I won’t divulge any specific details to the media,” Shivakumar maintained. The ongoing process involves persuading leaders from other parties after obtaining the approval of local leaders. Those opposing alliances with opposing parties are switching allegiances, thus strengthening the party’s presence both at the state and national levels, he added.
“Some have speculated that Karnataka will see another election in 2024. I won’t provide an explanation. Over 100 candidates who contested on the AAP platform have met and pledged to join hands, as they are partners in the INDIA alliance. Leaders from Bidar in the northernmost part of the state to Chamarajanagar in the south are enthusiastic about joining the Congress party,” he confirmed.
Ramappa Lamani, who officially joined the Congress, emphasized that his entry into the grand old party is unconditional. “I left the BJP due to the suffering I experienced in the party. I will work to ensure the victory of Congress candidates. Shettar and Shivakumar have successfully attracted many leaders to the Congress, and the party is poised to govern the state for the next decade,” he declared.
Lamani pointed out that many BJP leaders secured victory by margins of fewer than 1,500 votes in the last assembly elections. Were it not for these narrow wins, the BJP would have only won 40 seats. He also predicted the BJP’s decline in the near future and praised the guarantee schemes implemented by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, which have earned the trust of the people.
He further noted that in the upcoming days, BJP party workers have also expressed their intent to join the Congress.
