Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said that over 40 leaders from the BJP and JD(S) who are against the recently formed alliance between the two parties are willing to join the Congress. The Congress leader was speaking to media after former BJP MLA Ramappa Lamani, who was denied a ticket by the BJP to contest the May assembly elections from the Shirahatti constituency, joined the Congress.
'Applications from more than 40 leaders are before me'
It is pertinent to mention that the JD(S), led by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, decided to form an alliance with the BJP last month after a meeting between its leader H D Kumaraswamy and Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President J P Nadda in New Delhi.
"Applications from more than 40 leaders are before me. I never wanted to disclose this information but now the situation has come," Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, said without disclosing their names. "After discussing with the local leaders, we are inducting them one by one".
100 AAP leader interested in joining Congress
He further said that these BJP and JD(S) leaders are from Bidar in the north of the state to Chamarajanagar in the south. "Opposing the alliance (between BJP and JD-S), many leaders have shown interest in joining our party. It will be beneficial for our leadership as well as the country if these leaders are inducted," Shivakumar added.
The Deputy CM also claimed that over 100 individuals who had contested the May assembly election from the Aam Aadmi Party have expressed interest in joining the Congress.
(With PTI inputs)
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