Congress leader and former Karnataka minister V Srinivasa Prasad yesterday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“I have joined the BJP to strengthen its presence in the state and help Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the development front,” Prasad told reporters at the BJP officer after he was formally enrolled into the party at a function attended by top leaders including federal ministers H N Ananth Kumar and D V Sadananda Gowda, and state party chief B S Yeddyurappa.
The veteran Dalit leader, who represents Nanjangud constituency in Mysuru district since 2008, was appointed revenue minister in the Siddaramaiah government in May 2013 but dropped last July in a major reshuffle. He had resigned from the seat in October and had in recent time, indicated he would join the BJP.
“I was deeply hurt as Siddaramaiah, whom I know for years, dropped me from the cabinet unceremoniously and without even giving a hint,” he said.
“I have joined the BJP after the people in my constituency endorsed my decision to quit the Congress during my interaction with them at Nanjungud, Chamarajangar and T Narsippura.”
Prasad said he will contest on the BJP ticket in the Nanjangud assembly by-election due in February.
Hundreds of Prasad’s supporters and Congress cadres in the district are set to join the BJP and campaign for his victory in the bye-election, which is seen as crucial, since Siddaramaiah hails from the same region.
He was a five-time Lok Sabha member of the Congress from the Chamarajanagar constituency from 1980 to 1996. Later he joined the Janata Dal-United, and won the seat in the 1999 elections on a JD-U ticket.
Former Congress leader V Srinivas Prasad is congratulated by BJP Karnataka chief B S Yeddiyurappa in Bengaluru yesterday.
