Senior Janata Dal (U) leader and MLC Basavaraj Bommai, on Saturday, embraced the BJP along with several of his supporters.
With this, the BJP has grown stronger in Hubli, Dharwad and Belgaum districts where Bommai is an influential leader.
Former MLA M S Akki and six corporators of Hubli-Dharwad city corporation are among several of Bommai’s supporters who followed his footsteps.
Bommai, who is a son of former chief minister late S R Bommai, started his career in politics in 1776 as a student leader.
Bommai also worked as Political Secretary to J H Patel, when the latter was the chief minister.

 Excerpts from an interview with Basaravaj Bommai:
Why the sudden decision to quit the JD(U) after being with it for so long?
I tried very hard to unite all factions of the Janata Parivar. It was in vain. So I decided to resign from the party. But it is not a desperate decision.
Why did you chose the Bharatiya Janata Party?
 I chose the Bharatiya Janata Party because it is always anti-Congress, which was the basic principle of the then Janata Party of JP. Besides, the Janata Dal and the  BJP have had tie ups on several instances in the country’s political history.