Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi (MS)

New Delhi, Mar 30: Dr Tejaswini Gowda, who recently resigned from her BJP MLC position, has re-joined the Congress party. She was welcomed back to the party by Jairam Ramesh at a function held in New Delhi.

Addressing the media, Gowda reflected on her journey, stating, “I began as a general journalist before joining Congress in 2004. I was given the opportunity to contest against Deve Gowda, and the people of Karnataka and Kanakapura recognized my work as a journalist and elected me. I express my gratitude to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Priyanka Gandhi has been particularly supportive of women."

She continued, “Today, Mallikarjun Kharge leads the AICC in Karnataka, with Surjewala and Jairam Ramesh working diligently for the party's organization. In Karnataka, under the leadership of Siddaramaiah and KPCC president D K Shivakumar, Congress secured 136 seats and assumed power. Therefore, I am re-joining Congress after a decade, having faced elections thrice under its banner. Party workers even paid my deposit when I contested with Congress."

Gowda criticized the BJP, stating, “There is a lack of democracy in the BJP. While they claim Modi's global recognition, they deny party tickets to sitting MPs. Even the MP who provided tickets to the attackers during the parliament attack is protected by BJP. I requested a ticket to contest in Mysuru, but it was given to someone else. I have not placed any demands with the Congress party; I am joining to contribute towards the party's goals. Let us work together to fulfill the aspirations of the Indian people.”

Acknowledging her time with BJP, Gowda stated, “I am grateful to the BJP for appointing me as an MLC. However, there were rumours of my potential move to Congress. As I stated in the assembly session, our journey in politics is guided by the principles of the Bhagavad Gita. Today, this is my place, but tomorrow it may belong to someone else. We must focus on our actions while in the party. Similarly, we must provide opportunities to others."

Tejaswini, a former journalist, entered politics in 2004 and became a people's representative. She previously served as an MP from the Congress party, defeating former Prime Minister Deve Gowda in the Kanakapura Lok Sabha constituency. After ten years with the BJP, her MLC membership was set to expire on June 17, 2024. However, she chose to resign ahead of schedule and rejoin the Congress party.