JOIN USC P Yogeeshwara, who is considered a party hopper in political circles, is at it again.
The Channapatna MLA is likely to quit the Congress and may join either the BJP or the JD(S) in the run-up to the Assembly election. He won the 2013 Assembly election from Channapatna on a Samajwadi Party ticket and later joined the Congress.
Citing constant interference by his long-time political rival Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, and his brother — MP D K Suresh — Yogeeshwara said he has valid reasons to quit the party. Though he has contributed to strengthening the Congress, the state leaders have not taken him into confidence, he told this paper.
Yogeeshwara said the party had given opportunities to many leaders from the Mysuru region, but he had not been taken into confidence. “While MLC H M Revanna was inducted into the Cabinet, former minister C M Lingappa was nominated as the MLC by the party,” he said.
“I am very pained by the manner in which I have been treated. I have made up my mind to quit the Congress,” he added.
He said JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy had approached him a few months ago asking him to join the party. Yogeeshwara hopes to contest from either Channapatna or Maddur Assembly constituency in the next election. "I haven't made up my mind about my future plans. I will take an appropriate decision on October 22 after consulting my followers," he said.
Kumaraswamy, however, denied that he had approached Yogeeshwara. “I have not spoken to him. It is not true that the party has agreed to field him from Maddur,” added Kumaraswamy.