Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said Laxman Savadi joining Congress is a mistake.
Savadi should not join Congress after spending many years in BJP since it is infested with internal fights, CM told reporters here.
Despite losing elections, the party made him MLC and Deputy Chief Minister, Karnataka BJP in-charge Arun Singh said.
Bommai also said Congress does not have candidates to contest from 60 constituencies and that is why they are inducting candidates from other parties.
“As expected, the ruling party will have too many ticket aspirants. He (Savadi) has decided to join Congress because he sees the future in that party … This will not make any difference to the BJP’s prospects. We will do our work. Suerly, the BJP will win, and soon we are releasing the third list,” he said.
Savadi decided to join Congress after the BJP denied him a ticket to contest in the May 10 assembly election in Karnataka.
Mahesh Kumathalli is contesting on a BJP ticket from Athani.
Earlier, Savadi met top Congress leaders – Randeep Singh Surjewala, DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah at the latter’s house and discussed the matter.
After the meeting, Savadi said he would contest from Athani and is joining Congress without laying any conditions.
Savadi has been nursing a grudge over BJP’s choice of Mahesh Kumatahalli as the official candidate from Athani seat. The BJP candidate had defeated Savadi in 2018 from the same seat on a Congress ticket.
After a year, Kumatahalli, along with other MLAs including Ramesh Jarkiholi, defected from the Congress and brought down the JDS-Congress coalition government led by HD Kumaraswamy.
For this role, the BJP rewarded Kumatahalli a ticket, overlooking Savadi for the May 10 assembly election.
Savadi was one blue-eyed boy of BS Yediyurappa, and one of the most senior Lingayat leaders in the state.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the party has advised Savadi not to join Congress because it is a “use and throw” party.
