BENGALURU: Kumar Bangarappa, former minister and son of former Karnataka chief minister S Bangarappa, ended his association of two decades with the Congress on Friday. He quit primary membership of the party and is set to join the BJP on March 8.
Desertions from the Congress, which started as a trickle following the exit of V Srinivasa Prasad, S M Krishna and Ambarish, are threatening to turn into a flood. There is a long list of former legislators and some incumbent Congress MLAs who are set to abandon the party.
"The Congress is a sinking ship. There is no future for honest, hardworking leaders like me as the party wants power brokers and backroom managers, not leaders," Kumar Bangarappa said announcing his decision to quit the party.
The three-time MLA from Soraba, who was a minister in the S M Krishna cabinet, accused the Congress leadership of deliberately neglecting him and propping up rival JD(S) workers with the sinister design of marginalizing him politically in Shivamogga district.
"I have been deliberately kept away from power and any post in the party since 2004. Though I represent the strong Idiga community and have the ability, experience, energy and charisma to take up bigger responsibilities in the party, I was totally neglected. In Soraba, JD(S) workers have been appointed to APMC committees and Bagar Hukum Land Allotment Committees with the malicious intent of curbing my political growth," Kumar Bangarappa said, expressing his resentment against Shivamogga district in-charge minister Kagodu Thimmappa.
Madhu Bangarappa, younger brother of Kumar Bangarappa, is the JD(S) MLA in Soraba.
Kumar is set to join the BJP on March 8. Many more Congress leaders, including former MLA Parimala Nagappa, are set to follow suit.