Karnataka Elections 2023: Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka, Mudigere MLA MP Kumaraswamy on Friday joined JD(S). This comes a day after he had resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after being denied the party ticket.
According to reports, the three-time legislator joined JD(S) in presence of the party's legislature party leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and state president CM Ibrahim. Earlier on Wednesday (April 12), the BJP released its second list of 23 candidates, naming Deepak Doddaiah as the candidate from Mudigere. Meanwhile, JD(S) has already fielded former MLA B B Ningaiah from Mudigere.
Ex-deputy CM and BJP's Savadi joins Congress
Meanwhile, former deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi joined also switched party to join Congress on Friday. He had announced his decision to resign from the primary membership of the BJP after being denied a ticket to contest the upcoming polls. He would now be the grand old party's candidate in Athani in Belagavi district, Congress leaders said.
Savadi, a Lingayat leader in Belagavi district, on Friday, resigned from the Legislative Council and the BJP before heading to the office of the Congress, his new political home.
“From today onwards, I have no connection with the BJP… I will be a devoted and loyal worker of Congress just as I was in the BJP for 20 to 25 years,” Savadi said at a press conference after joining the party. He was flanked by Congress state president D K Shivakumar, Congress national general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and Election Campaign Committee Congress and MLA M B Patil.
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Karnataka Assembly elections 2023
It should be noted here that the Election Commission of India announced the schedule of the Assembly elections in Karnataka today. The state will witness a single phase of voting on May 10, whereas, results will be declared on May 13. Notably, the term of the 224-member Karnataka Assembly will be ending on May 24. Speaking at the press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that more than 9.17 lakh first-time voters will be participating in the upcoming elections in Karnataka.
(With PTI inputs)
