Congress welcomes former BJP MLAs Malikayya Guttedar and Sharada Shetty
- In Reports
- 07:42 PM, Apr 19, 2024
- Myind Staff
ormer BJP MLAs Malikayya Guttedar and Sharada Mohan Shetty have made a significant political shift by joining the Congress party in anticipation of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Malikayya Guttedar, a prominent political figure in Karnataka, has served as a MLA for six consecutive terms representing Afzalpur constituency in the Kalaburagi district. Additionally, he has held ministerial positions in the state government.
Kalaburagi holds significance in the political landscape as it is the home district of Congress President M. Mallikarjun Kharge. Kharge himself has contested and won Lok Sabha elections from Kalaburagi in both 2009 and 2014, but faced defeat in the 2019 polls.
Notably, Kharge's son-in-law, Radhakrishna Doddamani, is set to contest from the same constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Guttedar's decision to join the Congress comes amidst reported discontent over the recent induction of his brother, Nithin Venkaiah Guttedar, into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) earlier this month.
In the 2023 Assembly election, M Y Patil of the Congress emerged victorious in the Afzalpur constituency, securing the seat. Notably, Malikayya Guttedar, who had defected from the Congress to join the BJP, found himself in the third position, trailing behind independent candidate Nithin.
Following his switch to the BJP, Malikayya Guttedar has been vocal in his criticism of the party's stalwart and former Chief Minister, B S Yediyurappa, along with his son, B Y Vijayendra, who serves as the state BJP president. This dissent stems from his discontent over his brother's alignment with the BJP.
According to sources, Priyank Kharge, Karnataka's Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister and the son of Kharge, played a pivotal role in facilitating Malikayya Guttedar's return to the Congress.
Former Congress MLA Sharada Mohan Shetty, representing Kumta in Uttara Kannada district from 2013 to 2018, defected to the BJP after being denied a ticket in the 2018 Assembly elections.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with his deputy D K Shivakumar, who also serves as the State Congress chief, and Priyank Kharge, extended a warm welcome to both leaders and their supporters upon their rejoining of the party.
Siddaramaiah expressed his conviction that Malikayya Guttedar's departure from the BJP was inevitable, citing his alignment with principles of 'pro-social justice'.
Image source: The Economic Times
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