State BJP leaders to take up merger of BSR Congress with Delhi bosses

The State BJP leaders are planning to discuss the merger of B Sriramulu’s BSR Congress with the party at a meeting with the central leadership in New Delhi.

They will also take up the issue of re-inducting B S Yeddyurappa’s loyalists into the party fold.

Party State president Pralhad Joshi, Yeddyurappa and other leaders left for the national capital on Wednesday evening.

The party central election committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday morning, where it will consider the State unit’s recommendation of candidates for eight Lok Sabha constituencies. The party has already announced candidates for 20 constituencies in the State.

Speaking to reporters, Joshi said the central leadership would take a decision on Sriramulu’s proposal for merger of his party with the BJP. “The State unit has no objection,” he said. Senior leader Sushma Swaraj had openly opposed the merger. The party has kept the Bellary seat open for Sriramulu.

Tejaswini joins BJP

Former Congress MP and television journalist Tejaswini Sriramesh joined the BJP on Wednesday. Tejaswini, a Vokkaliga, had created a stir in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections by defeating former prime minister H D Deve Gowda in the erstwhile Kanakapura constituency.

She was inducted into the BJP by party president Pralhad Joshi.

She lost both the 2009 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2013 Assembly elections. She had made it to Parliament when D K Shivakumar had vigorously campaigned for her. More than the campaign, JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda contesting from two constituencies – Hassan and Kanakapura – had actually helped her win in 2004.

Speaking to reporters, Tejaswini said she quit the Congress as it was “saying one thing and doing something else.” Ruling out contesting in the coming Lok Sabha election, Tejaswini said she would campaign for the BJP.

She said she believed the party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had decisive leadership qualities.