BENGALURU: With the Congress top leadership in Karnataka, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, not averse to former minister CP Yogeshwara joining the Grand Old Party, the top brass in Delhi is now left with the job of inducting him and fielding him as the candidate in the November 13 Channapatna bypolls.
“Those who want to join the Congress embracing its ideology are welcome,” CM Siddaramaiah said in Mysuru on Tuesday, hinting at welcoming Yogeshwara to join the party. Responding to the CM’s statement, Yogeshwara was all praise for the former. “It demonstrates the CM’s magnanimity. Moreover, I was in the Congress before Siddaramaiah joined the party,” Yogeshwara said.
Yogeshwara, however, held a meeting of his supporters and said that he will take a decision on whether to join the Congress or to contest as an independent soon. But he indicated that he will be filing his nomination papers on Thursday.
According to informed sources, Yogeshwar is likely to join the Congress on Thursday in the presence of CM Siddaramaiah, DyCM and KPCC chief DK Shivakumar, and AICC general secretary Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala.
On Tuesday, Shivakumar, however, maintained that he will discuss with the CM about fielding Yogeshwara from Channapatna only after the latter resigns from the primary membership of the BJP. Yogeshwara resigned as MLC on Monday.
“I am aware that he has resigned as an MLC, and he has met his supporters. BJP leaders are still holding talks with him. Since he is still with the BJP, why should I talk about the Congress fielding him?” Shivakumar told the media.
On October 16, Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, on behalf of CM and DyCM, held talks with Yogeshwara and sealed the deal, an informed source told The New Indian Express.
Meanwhile, former Bengaluru Rural MP DK Suresh, who is the younger brother of Shivakumar, has clarified that he has no qualms about Yogeshwara joining the Congress. Suresh’s name was doing the rounds for Channapatna seat. “I am a party worker and welcome those who want to join our party. Ultimately, it is left to the top leaders of the party to make a decision,” he said.
Meanwhile, Magadi MLA HC Balakrishna clarified that Suresh will not contest the bypolls, adding that since Yogeshwara is an influential leader in the region, he joining the Congress will help the party.
Labour Minister Santhosh Lad, too, had said that Yogeshwara was welcome to join the Congress.
Meanwhile, the party’s ranks and files opine that Yogeshwara is a prize catch for the Congress to snub the BJP-JDS alliance, especially Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who is also state JDS chief. Keenly witnessing the developments, Kumaraswamy ridiculed that the Congress leaders are “standing in a queue to receive Yogeshwara.”
If Yogeshwara is hellbent on contesting as an independent from Channapatna and JDS fields Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the Congress will look into other options. But the chances are bleak as Yogeshwara is prepared to contest on a Congress ticket, party insiders opined.
The reason, according to party insiders, is that the DK Brothers do not want to risk their political career as a religious head from a mutt near Tiptur, Tumakuru district, had advised them against contesting the bypolls.