‘Ghar wapsi’ of a few BJP MLAs on the cards in Karnataka?

After three months of the Congress party’s spectacular victory in Legislative Assembly elections, there are now strong political indications that a few “dissenting” opposition BJP MLAs who had earlier defected from the Congress to the BJP, are possibly exploring returning to the ruling party in Karnataka.

After three months of the Congress party’s spectacular victory in Legislative Assembly elections, there are now strong political indications that a few “dissenting” opposition BJP MLAs who had earlier defected from the Congress to the BJP, are possibly exploring returning to the ruling party in Karnataka.

Terming the move as a ‘ghar wapsi’ (homecoming), some Congress leaders believe that four to five BJP MLAs are likely to shift to the Congress to boost the party’s prospects in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. These MLAs have played a vital role in the collapse of H.D. Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in 2019 and installation of the BJP government.

Fourteen Congress MLAs and three JD(S) MLAs quit the two parties in 2019 which led to the collapse of the JD(S)-Congress government in that year.

Sources in the Congress said former Minister and Yeshwanthpur MLA S.T. Somashekar would possibly be the first one to quit the BJP. Recently, at the inspection of the Kempe Gowda Layout in Bengaluru by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Mr. Somashekar had said the KPCC chief was his ‘political guru’ and appreciated his leadership.

Closer to the parliamentary elections, it is anticipated that at least four MLAs would quit the BJP and affiliate with the Congress, sources said.

It is being speculated that BJP MLAs like Shivaram Hebbar (Yellapur constituency), Byrati Basavaraj (K.R. Puram), and K. Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout) are contemplating switching over to the Congress. All these BJP MLAs were part of ‘Operation Kamala’ in 2019 and served as the Ministers in the previous BJP government.

Congress sources said already these legislators held preliminary talks with the KPCC president and the Chief Minister. The KPCC is reportedly awaiting the high command’s consent on inclusion of these MLAs.