Disgruntled BJP leaders in touch with Congress, says Dinesh

 Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president Dinesh Gundu Rao on Saturday claimed that many disgruntled BJP leaders are willing to join his party.

The BJP leaders who are upset with state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa’s leadership are in touch with the Congress. The Congress will take appropriate decision in this regard, he told journalists who sought his reaction to media reports that senior BJP leader V Somanna is trying to join the Congress.

Rao, however, refused to reveal the names of the BJP leaders who are planning to join the Congress.

“The BJP is a divided house. Leaders in the saffron party are not ready to accept Yeddyurappa’s leadership. The party appears to have erred by making him the state president,” he said.

The Congress is least bothered about the bickering in the BJP and that it is an internal matter of that party, he added.

Asked the reason for delay in naming the Congress candidate for the ensuing byelection from the Nanjangud Assembly constituency, he said the candidate will be announced soon after the bypoll is announced. There is no dearth of candidates in the party, he added.

Rao said the Congress-backed candidates have won majority of the seats in the recently-held elections to the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) in the state and claimed that the results are a clear indication the party would come back to power in the 2018 Assembly polls.

Of the total 1,760 seats, the Congress-supported candidates have won 769 seats, the BJP-backed ones 608 seats and the JD(S)-backed candidates 298 seats. The Congress’ performance has improved compared to the 2011 APMC polls, he claimed.