TUMAKURU: With BJP Lok Sabha member GS Basavaraju’s meeting with former MLA K N Rajanna, a staunch supporter of CLP leader Siddaramaiah, raising eyebrows in political circles here on Tuesday, rumours abound that the former may return to the Congress party. This follows the prospect that the BJP is unlikely to give him a ticket for the 2024 General Election.
In fact, Basavaraju had recently declared that he will not be contesting the LS polls, but is trying to safeguard the political interests of his son and Tumakuru City BJP MLA G B Jyothiganesh. According to sources, if the Congress high command assures a ticket to Jyothiganesh for the 2023 Assembly polls, Basavaraju may extend his support to the party.
The veteran Lingayat leader has his own clout within the community in the district, and his switching sides would help the Congress in 2-3 Assembly segments, out of 11 in the district. Basavaraju was originally with the Congress and had joined former CM B S Yediyurappa’s KJP, eventually following the latter to the BJP. Now since Yediyurappa is not the CM candidate from the BJP, Basavaraju is likely to take his own decision, sources said.
In the 2019 LS polls, he took the support of Rajanna and defeated former PM H D Deve Gowda, the JDS-Congress alliance candidate. Since he is on good terms with Siddaramaiah, Rajanna initiated negotiations to bring him back to the Congress, a source said. During the elections to the MLC seat from local bodies, Basavaraju backed Rajanna’s son Rajendra to victory.
Briefing reporters, Rajanna said he will back the candidature of former deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwara for the CM post, if the situation arises. Meanwhile, former MLA H Ningappa, who hails from the Vokkaliga community, resigned from the JDS and declared that he will join the Congress.