HASSAN: JDS MLA from Arsikere constituency, K M Shivalinge Gowda on Sunday resigned, ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka, and is likely to Congress.
Gowda quit the JDS and submitted his resignation to Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri at the latter's home office in Sirsi town on Sunday.
Over two hundred followers from the Arasikere constituency have accompanied KM Shivalinge Gowda.
Sources close to KM Shivalinge Gowda said that he will join Congress in the presence of leader Siddaramaiah in a mammoth rally planned in Arasikere town soon.
Sources also said that many leaders from JDS and BJP also join Congress on the occasion. Arasikere would become one of the hi-voltage constituencies as the JDS leaders HD Revanna and HD Kumaraswamy challenged to defeat KM Shivalinge Gowda.
JDS will field Banavara Ashok from the Kuruba community who are in large numbers in the Arasikere constituency. On the other hand, NR Santosh the former political secretary of former chief minister BS Yediyurappa is likely to get a BJP ticket.
When contacted KM Shivalinge Gowda said that he will join the Congress on Monday and get a ticket. The strategies of BJP and JDS will not work out as all sections of people decided to support him considering the development works.
Speaking to mediapersons in Sirsi, Shivalingegowda said that he was unhappy in JDS as the party leaders failed to sort out the differences within the party.
“Despite several discussions, leaders failed to address discontent brewing within the party. Against this backdrop, it was inevitable for me to quit the party and find my way out.”
He further claimed that his name for the Arasikere constituency has been finalised in the Congress and the same would be announced when the second list will be made public soon.
Shivalingegowda is the third JDS MLA to quit in the last week.