From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Oct 14: One of the colourful personalities in Karnataka politics, C P Yogeshwar, who ventured in politics from Kannada filmdom has now decided to quit the Congress and is expected to join JD(S).

Yogeshwar began his political career from Kannada films as an actor by joining the Congress party and became an MLA in 2008.

The party-hopping MLA, quit the Congress party when BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa became Chief Minister along with many other MLAs in what has come to be known as ``Operation Kamala’’ and contested again under BJP’s Lotus symbol. After his election on BJP ticket, he was rewarded with a Cabinet Minister’s berth.

But Yogeshwar quit the BJP on the eve of the assembly elections in 2013 and contested on Samajwadi Party (SP) symbol.

However, on the eve of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Yogeshwar rejoined the Congress party and became its co-opted member in the State Assembly.

Yogeshwar has now decided to quit the Congress party in view of the possibility of being denied the party ticket. He has been keeping off from party activities since the last few months.

With BJP under National President Amit Shah unlikely to entertain his admission, his only option is to join the JD(S) in view of the party’s pull among the Vokkaligas.

It may be recalled that former Congress MP from Udupi-Chikkamagalur K Jayaprakash Hegde, who started off from the Janata Party and later Janata Dal to become a minister after getting elected as MLA for consecutive terms from Brahmavar assembly constituency, had recently joined BJP. Another former Congress MLA from the city, N L Narendra Babu, too had quit the party and joined the BJP.

With assembly elections due in April-May 2018, many other leaders from Congress and JD(S) are expected to switch sides. In fact, as many as five MLAs, who were elected from JD(S) including former MP N Cheluvarayaswamy and Z A Zameer Ahmed, who had been suspended from the party for voting against the party candidates in the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections, have already joined Congress party.