Karnataka polls: Denied ticket by BJP, Laxman Savadi to join Congress

Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who announced his decision to resign from the primary membership of the BJP after being denied a ticket to contest in the May 10 Assembly elections, on Friday decided to join the Congress.

His decision came after a meeting with Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah and Congress general secretary and party in-charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala "He has agreed to become a member of our (Congress) family on his own volition," Shivakumar, who was flanked by Savadi and Siddaramaiah, told reporters.

Shivakumar said Savadi, a BJP MLC, would meet the Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti (to tender his resignation from the Upper House) this afternoon, after which he would formally join the Congress.

Ignoring Savadi's request, the BJP had earlier this week given the Athani seat in Belagavi district to sitting MLA Mahesh Kumathalli.

Savadi is a three-time MLA from Athani but lost in the 2018 elections to Kumathalli (then in the Congress).

Kumathalli was among the group of defectors who helped the BJP to bring down the Congress-JD(S) coalition and form its government under the leadership of B S Yediyurappa in 2019.