New Delhi: Denied an Assembly ticket by the Bharatiya Janata Party, former Karnataka deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi joined the Congress on Friday.
On 12 April, Savadi had resigned as Legislative Council member and from the BJP’s primary membership after the party reportedly asked him to make way for newcomers. He did not get a ticket from the Athani constituency, from where he was elected three times before.
Savadi, however, had lost Athani in 2018 to the Congress’ Mahesh Kumathalli. Kumathalli, who defected to the BJP in 2019 and helped topple the then Congress government, has been given a ticket.
After defection, Kumthalli was re-elected to the Assembly in a 2019 by-election, while Savadi was nominated to the Legislative Council.
A minister in the outgoing Assembly, Savadi is a B.S. Yediyurappa loyalist and a powerful Lingayat leader. After not finding his name in the BJP’s first list of 189 candidates Wednesday, Savadi had said: “I have made my decision. I am not the one who goes around with a begging bowl. I am a self-respecting politician. I am not acting under the influence of anyone.”
The BJP this week released two lists – of 189 and 23 candidates – for the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly that goes to polls on 10 May. The votes will be counted on 13 May.
Later in the day, former Congress chief minister Siddaramaiah said Savadi would be given a ticket from the Athani constituency and hoped he would go back to the Assembly. The party leader said the only condition Savadi had made was that he should be treated properly – “with all respect”.
#WATCH The only condition Savadi has put forward is that he should be treated properly. Savadi will be given a ticket from the Athani constituency. I hope he will win: Congress leader Siddaramaiah on former BJP leader Laxman Savadi joining Congress#KarnatakaElections2023 pic.twitter.com/vSaSoA5wfw
— ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2023
Congress state chief D.K. Shivakuamr said Savadi would be “unconditionally” accepted in the party. “He was a very senior leader of the BJP… He feels he has been humiliated. There are nine to ten sitting MLAs who want to join us, but we don’t have space to accommodate them.”
VIDEO | "He (Laxman Savadi) feels that he has been humiliated (by the BJP). It is our duty to take such great leaders into Congress. Around 9-10 sitting legislators want to join us but we don't have space to accommodate them," says Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar. pic.twitter.com/9bIn6X18KK
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 14, 2023
Also read: BJP continues to face heat over ticket distribution in Karnataka, gets into fire-fighting mode