Karnataka ex-deputy CM Laxman Savadi joins Congress after being denied ticket

Former Karnataka deputy CM Laxman Savadi on Friday joined the Congress after holding a meeting with party leaders DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah.

Published on: Apr 14, 2023, 13:26:13 IST

By Yamini C S

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Former Karnataka deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi on Friday joined the Congress party barely two days after resigning from the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) after being denied a ticket in the upcoming assembly polls in the southern state.

KPCC President D K Shivakumar and AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala meet with BJP senior leader and former Deputy CM Laxman Savadi, in Bengaluru. (PTI)

He had earlier held a meeting with senior Congress leaders DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah at the latter's residence. The upcoming assembly poll in the southern state is due to be held on May 10, for which counting will be on May 13.

READ | Former deputy CM Laxman Savadi resigns from BJP after being denied ticket

KPCC chief D K Shivakumar addressed the media on Friday and confirmed that Savadi has joined the grand old party. The former BJP leader was eyeing the Athani assembly constituency seat, but was passed over for sitting MLA Mahesh Kumathalli.

“There is no condition. He feels that he has been humiliated. It is our duty to take such great leaders into the Congress Party. There are more than 9-10 sitting MLAs who want to join us but we don't have space to accommodate them,” D K Shivakumar said upon the former BJP leader's entry in to the Congress.

READ | Karnataka polls: BJP denies ticket to seven sitting MLAs in second list; Protests continue

Savadi had resigned from the BJP and as the Legislative Council member of the party on Wednesday, saying that he is a “self-respecting politician” and that he would not go around with a “begging bowl”. “I have made my decision. I am not the one who goes around with a begging bowl. I am a self-respecting politician. I am not acting under the influence of anyone,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

This comes amid a brewing discontent among many party workers and leaders after the BJP left out seven sitting MLAs from its second candidates list, to “make way for fresh faces”. The party fielded 52 new names in the first list, including even those who jumped ship recently from its rivals.

Apart from Savadi, six-time MLA S Angara from Sullia constituency, BJP MLC R Shankar, Mudigere BJP MLA M P Kumaraswamy and MLA Goolihatti Shekhar are some of the leaders who have quit the party on being denied tickets.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C 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.Read More

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