Days after resigning as an MLC in Karnataka, the BJP's Tejaswini Gowda joined the Congress on Saturday and alleged that the saffron party does not believe in constitutional and democratic values.
Tejaswini Gowda joined Congress in the presence of party Media Department Chairman Pawan Khera, at AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI Photo/ Mohd Zakir) (Mohd Zakir)
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Gowda, who was a Congress MP between 2004 and 2009, and crossed over to the BJP in 2014, called her return to the grand old party her "homecoming".
She was inducted into the Congress in the presence of party general secretary Jairam Ramesh and media and publicity department head Pawan Khera at its headquarters here.
"We welcome Tejaswini Gowda, an active leader in Karnataka politics, to the Congress. We have full confidence that Tejaswini ji will remain active in the coming elections. Tejaswini was a Congress MP between 2004 and 2009 and has been vocal on various issues. We are happy that she has returned to the Congress," Ramesh said.
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In her remarks, Gowda said, "The Congress believes in action and not just words. History is there for us to see. It's high time, and with all sincerity, I would like to work for the party."
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In her remarks, Gowda said, "The Congress believes in action and not just words. History is there for us to see. It's high time, and with all sincerity, I would like to work for the party."
"The BJP does not believe in constitutional democratic values," she alleged.
Gowda, a former journalist, also exuded confidence that the Congress would win 23 seats out of 28 in Karnataka in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
After joining the BJP in 2014, Gowda was elected as an MLA in 2018. She had also been the spokesperson for the saffron party. Her tenure as MLC was to end in June 2024.
She was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha (2004-2009) from Kanakapura segment. She won the seat, which is now Bangalore Rural, as a Congress candidate, defeating former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda of the JD(S).
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
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