Senior JD(S) MLA A T Ramaswamy Joins BJP ahead of polls

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New Delhi, Apr 1: Senior JD(S) leader from Karnataka’s Arkalgud, AT Ramaswamy joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the presence of Union minister & BJP leader Anurag Thakur.

Ramaswamy had resigned as MLA on Friday. Ramaswamy had submitted his resignation to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Secretary at Vidhana Soudha, as Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri was in his hometown of Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district. There were speculations about him joining the BJP since he resigned.

A four-time MLA from Arkalgud in JD(S) home turf of Hassan district, Ramaswamy has been vocal about his differences with the party leadership in recent days.

Former Minister A Manju, who has earlier been with both Congress and BJP, and had represented the Arkalgud constituency in the past, recently joined JD(S) and is likely to be the party’s candidate from the segment.

There are reports that another JD(S) MLA from Arsikere in Hassan district, Shivalinge Gowda, is also likely to resign soon to join the Congress.

Ramaswamy is not the only legislator to have quit his party.

Earlier on Friday, Kudligi BJP MLA NY Gopalakrishna resigned as legislator. He submitted his resignation to Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri at his office at Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district.

About speculations of joining Congress, Gopalakrishna said he was planning to take retirement from politics. “My age is 72, and at this age…I cannot take the responsibility due to age and health factors…I have not thought of joining another party and my plan is to retire from politics,” he said.

Gopalakrishna said his sons’ desire to contest the poll from “any of the parties” was one of the reasons for his resignation as an MLA. He recently met Congress leaders DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah.

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