MYSURU: At a time when the JDS is holding a series of workshops to strengthen the organisation ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections, sitting JDS MLC Sandesh Nagaraj has decided to quit the party and join the BJP in a couple of days.
This comes days after Chamundeshwari JDS legislator GT Devegowda shared the stage with Congress leader Siddaramaiah amid murmurs of the former joining the Congress. Nagaraj, who had kept away from JDS activities for sometime, is a strong contender from the saffron party for a ticket to contest the December 10 MLC polls from Mysuru-Chamarajanagar.
Nagaraj had also worked for his brother and BJP Narasimharaja constituency candidate Sandesh Swamy ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections and had also worked for his brother’s son in the corporation polls. It is also learnt that senior BJP leaders DV Sadananda Gowda and R Ashoka had also held talks with the party high command and pitched for a ticket for Nagaraj.
Nagaraj, also a film producer, had started his political career in the Janata Party and joined the Congress during SM Krishna’s tenure as the CM. He had contested the 2004 Assembly polls and lost to BJP’s HS Shankerlinge Gowda. He also lost the 2008 polls from Narashimaraja as a JDS candidate. He contested on a Janata Dal ticket in 2000 from Mysuru-Chamarajanagar dual-member local bodies constituency and
won along with BJP’s Prof Mallikarjunappa. He managed to win in the 2017 MLC polls.