Congress leaders and former legislators L R Shivarame Gowda and Suresh Gowda on Monday joined the JD(S) in the presence of party president H D Deve Gowda.

Deve Gowda made the two leaders take oath saying they will together work for the party and will not betray it. The party will decide on who should be its candidate at Nagamangala constituency in the next Assembly elections in the coming days, the JD(S) president said.

Suresh Gowda and Shivarame Gowda are both from Nagamangala in Mandya district. The JD(S) is likely to field one of them from the constituency since sitting MLA N Cheluvarayaswamy has rebelled against the party.

Suresh Gowda said the Congress neglected him after suspended JD(S) MLA N Chaluvarayaswamy became close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. All is not well in the Congress. Hence, he said he decided to join the JD(S).