DKS invites BJP men to join Congress

Minister D K Shivakumar, on Tuesday, gave an open invitation to BJP legislators and leaders to join the Congress, if they were interested. He said several BJP leaders were ready to quit that party.

“There are some legislators also, and they are in regular contact with us. BJP workers also want to join Congress. We are giving them an open invitation, and it is a golden opportunity for them,” he told reporters here.

In reply to BJP leaders’ expectation of political change in the state after the Lok Sabha poll results, Shivakumar said, “there would be a political change after Lok Sabha poll results, but it would be a change to strengthen the coalition government”.

Shivakumar, one of the Congress’ overall incharge leaders for Kundgol bypoll, said the day-to-day activities of the party related to the byelection were being conveyed to coalition co-ordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah.

Refuting the charge that Siddaramaiah was being sidelined in the coalition government, Shivakumar said, “Yeddyurappa wants all power for himself. What did he do to Jagadish Shettar?”

He said that the BJP would sang paeans during the demise of then Municipal administration minister C S Shivalli, should now support his wife Kusuma Shivalli in the bypolls. He said Shivalli was a reputed elected representative and he passed away even before completing three months as a minster.

He said Kusuma Shivalli had entered the fray with a commitment to continue the good works taken by her husband and challenged the BJP to support her in the byelections.