Congress MLA Guttedar to join BJP

Ex-Mayor of Mysuru Sandesh Swamy too to join the party

The BJP has continued to woo leaders from other political parties into its fold, with another Congress MLA, Malikayya Guttedar, on Thursday announcing in Bengaluru that he would join the BJP.

The MLA for Afzalpur in Kalaburagi district told reporters that he would quit the Assembly membership before joining the BJP. According to sources, Mr. Guttedar, a six-time MLA, is likely to get BJP ticket to contest the Assembly elections from Afzalpur. Mr. Guttedar was upset with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for not giving him a ministerial berth.

In the evening, the Congress expelled Mr. Guttedar from the party for six years.

Janata Dal (S) leader and the former Mayor of Mysuru Sandesh Swamy has quit the party to join the BJP. Mr. Swamy, who is the brother of JD(S) MLC Sandesh Nagaraj, has sent his resignation letter to JD(S) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy.

According to sources in the BJP, Mr. Swamy is likely to join the party during the two-day State visit of party national president Amit Shah beginning on Friday. He is expected to get a BJP ticket to contest from Narasimharaja constituency in Mysuru.

Mr. Kumaraswamy sought to downplay the episode of Mr. Swamy alias S. Satish quitting the party, and said, “Their family’s contribution to the growth and development of the JD(S) in the region was nil.”

BJP considering BSY’s son Vijayendra for Varuna

The BJP is considering fielding its State president B.S. Yeddyurappa’s son B.Y. Vijayendra from Varuna constituency in Mysuru, from where the party still believes Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will contest the Assembly elections.

According to sources in the BJP, the local zilla panachayat members and councillors have suggested to the party State unit that Mr. Vijayendra would be an ideal candidate to take on Mr. Siddaramaiah. Mr. Vijayendra’s name is being considered, though he has not contested any elections so far, because of his father’s political influence, a party leader said, and pointed out that the constituency has about 60,000 Lingayats.