BENGALURU: BJP leader R Akhanda Srinivas Murthy is expected to rejoin JDS after jumping ship eight years ago. Union Minister and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy recently visited Murthy at his residence in the city and invited him to return to the party from where he had debuted in politics in 2013. While confirming Kumaraswamy’s visit to his house and his invitation to join JDS, Murthy said he has not taken any decision yet. “I will decide next month,” Murthy told TNIE.
One of the main reasons for his proposed return to JDS would be to win back the support of Muslims, who had supported him during the 2018 Assembly elections from the Pulakeshinagar constituency.
Considered one of the tallest young Dalit leaders in the state, Murthy had won the 2018 Assembly elections on a Congress ticket against Prasanna Kumar of JDS by the highest margin of 81,626 votes. The Pulakeshinagar constituency has a voter population of 2,36,000, of which around 85,000 are Muslims and around 65,000 are SC/STs, followed by others.
Kumaraswamy’s move to get Murthy to the JDS fold comes on the cusp of alleged Muslim disaffection with Congress after the Davanagere South bypoll. “If the community’s disaffection continues, it may split the Muslim vote ahead of the 2028 Assembly polls in Karnataka. JDS, which, before its alliance with the BJP-led NDA in September 2023 enjoyed a sizeable support of the Muslims, is looking to win back their confidence,” said sources.
Murthy had started his political career with JDS and was suspended from the party for cross-voting in the 2016 Rajya Sabha elections. He had resigned from the party in 2018 and joined Congress the same year at the insistence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with whom he is known to have a close relationship.
In April 2023, Murthy resigned from Congress after he was denied ticket from the Pukeshinagar constituency following the riots in DJ Halli, KG Halli and adjoining areas on August 11, 2020, after Murthy’s nephew’s alleged blasphemous post on social media. The mob had also torched Murthy’s house in Kavalbyrasandra, RT Nagar. Three people had died in police firing.
In April 2024, Murthy joined BJP to campaign for the NDA coalition in Bengaluru for the Parliamentary elections.