Bangarappa Joins JD(S) to Fight Against Yeddy's 'Most Corrupt and Worst' Govt

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Dec 15: Former Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Sarekoppa Bangarappa, who has made a habit of quitting Congress and forming his regional parties or joining other parties and rejoining Congress party, has joined the H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S) in Bangalore on Wednesday.
 
The veteran leader, who was the uncrowned king of Shimoga district to which the BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa belongs, declared that he was joining JD(S) to fight for the overthrow of the Yeddyurappa regime in the state, which he termed as the ''worst and most corrupt" Government that he had seen in his long political career.

The 78-leader, who has switched parties for the ninth time in his long political career, became a primary member of JD(S) in the state party office in the presence of the former prime minister and national president of JD(S) and his son and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and other senior leaders of the party.
 
The JD(S), which warmly welcomed the tallest Idiga backward class community leader, has announced that it would organise a massive public function in Shimoga district to mark the induction of Bangarappa into the party.
 
Bangarappa, who has been in and out of Congress party and had floated his own regional outfits Karnataka Kranti Ranga, Karnataka Congress Party, Karnataka Vikasa Party and had joined the BJP, Samajawadi Party and JD(S) in between quitting and rejoining the Congress party, declared that he decided to join JD(S) after being impressed by the valiant battle waged by Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy against the Yeddyurappa regime.

Hailing Kumaraswamy as the leader who was doing yeoman’s service in exposing the scams involving the Yeddyurappa government, Bangarappa appealed to the people to help  Kumaraswamy become the next chief minister again and put the state in the right path.

Bangarappa promises to guide Kumaraswamy

''I have joined JD(S) because I am impressed by the fight and relentless campaign of  Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy in exposing the misdeeds of JD(S) and for its fighting for the cause of farmers and social justice," he said declaring that his joining JD(S) was ''completely unconditional."

Bangarappa declared that he was not joining JD(S) to gain any position as he had enjoyed everything. ''I am not after any position or power because I have seen and tasted it all. I will quide Kumaraswamy and lend him my full support in his political parties," he said.

The present Congress party is not the same organisation which used to be in the era of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, he said pointing out that it was unfit and incapable of fighting against BJP much less to rule the state.

Bangarappa, who was defeated by Yeddyurappa’s son B Y Raghavendra in the last Lok Sabha elections and both his sons Kumar Bangarappa and Madhu Bangarappa were trounced in the 2008 assembly elections, claimed that a large number of his supporters in the Congress were set to follow him into the JD(S).

Warmly welcoming the veteran leader into the party, Kumaraswamy sought to remind the people that the Congress had lost the elections whenever Bangarappa had gone out of it.

The BJP was able to increase its tally to 79 seats in the Assembly after Bangarappa joined it in 2004, Kumaraswamy said pointing out that he too was personally accused of helping the BJP’s growth in the state by forming a coalition government with that party.

In a wry sense of humour, Kumaraswamy reminded the people that he and Bangarappa were both responsible in one way or other for the growth of the BJP in Karnataka.

''Now, it is a coincidence that both of us have come together to rectify our mistakes and to bring down the BJP government," he said declaring that
JD(S) has gained strength with Bangarappa’s entry.

Meanwhile, Bangarappa’s son Kumar Bangarappa, who had chosen to remain firmly in Congress and had gone to Delhi to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi, had claimed that his fatrher’s decision to quit Congress and join JD(S) would not impact the Congress in a big way.

''He (Bangarappa) is not the same person or kind of leader he was in the past. People have learnt what he is and will not be swayed by him anymore," he said.

However, leaders of both Congress and BJP are wary of the repercussions of Bangarappa’s entry into JD(S) on the eve of the two-phase elections to the taluk and zilla panchayats due on December 26 and 31.

Incidentally, Bangarappa’s entry into JD(S) follows the decision of former minister Chennigappa to quit BJP and rejoin JD(S) followed by the decision of Chennigappa’s son Gowrishankar to follow suit.