Mysuru, Oct 25: Former minister and Congress leader C H Vijayashankar is likely to return to his former party, the BJP, ahead of bypolls in Karnataka.
Vijayashankar met BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel on Thursday, a day after Kateel and chief minister BS Yediyurappa discussed bringing him back into the party fold during a meeting on Wednesday.
During the meeting in Bengaluru, local leaders from Hunsur had told party brass that they had no objection to Vijayashankar’s return.
A two-time MP and former MLC, Vijayashankar was a minister in Yediyurappa’s earlier government, but switched to the Congress last year. Former chief minister Siddaramaiah had pushed Vijayashankar’s case hard with the Congress high command and fielded him in the Lok Sabha polls from Mysuru, but he lost. Now, he is set to return to the saffron party.
Former minister and Mysuru district BJP president M Shivanna, said: “Some leaders from Mysuru asked party leaders to re-induct Vijayashankar. They are open to the idea. I contacted the former minister and sought his opinion. He said he will consider it seriously.”
With the inclusion of Vijayashankar, a Kuruba, the BJP is looking to strengthen its base in Hunsur ahead of the December 5 bypoll. Vijayashankar, who represented Hunsur and Periyapatna assembly segments, has indicated that he wants to return to state politics.
With Congress leaders having previously represented Hunsur and Periyapatna assembly segments, he is unlikely to get the Congress ticket to contest the assembly polls. It is this which has pushed him back to the BJP.
However, it’s unclear whether he would get the BJP ticket either since Yediyurappa has insisted disqualified MLAs would be given preference. The Hunsur seat feel vacant as AH Vishwanath resigned, paving the way for the BJP to form the government.
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