BENGALURU: In a shot in the arm for the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, BJP leader and former minister JC Madhuswamy is likely to join the Grand Old Party. Madhuswamy lost from Chikkanayakanahalli segment in the 2023 Assembly polls to CB Suresh Babu of JDS. Madhuswamy in 2018 had defeated Babu from the same constituency.
A four-time MLA from Chikkanayakanahalli, Madhuswamy, who was with the Janata Dal in the past, had joined BS Yediyurappa KJP and later moved to the BJP camp. He has been sulking with the BJP leadership after his 2023 defeat and blamed the party leadership for his plight.
In 2023, Madhuswamy confided that it was Kiran Kumar of Congress who actually defeated him. Kiran Kumar, a Lingayat, and who is said to be close to several leaders including, Yediyurappa, polled about 50,000 votes causing the Lingayat vote to split and helping JDS’ Babu to win by about 10,000 votes. Madhuswamy joining the Congress is expected to boost the party’s prospects in Tiptur, Turuvekere, Chicknayakanahalli, Gubbi, Tumkur Rural, and Tumkur city.
In the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, BJP-JDS alliance has fielded V Somanna and Congress’ face will be Muddahanume Gowda. This development could upset BJP here as Somanna, although a Lingayat, is not a Nolamba Lingayat, who are in the majority.
After MP GS Basavaraj, a Nolamba was not considered for a BJP ticket in Tumakuru. The Nolambas have been leaderless ever since considering their other senior leader Madhuswamy lost the 2023 elections in Chikkanayakanahalli.
Political analyst BS Murthy, who hails from Tumakuru, feels that a prominent Nolamba leader like Madhuswamy joining Congress could be an asset for the party.