Bengaluru, April 17 (UNI) In a significant political move ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, former Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday.
The announcement came during a formal event held in Bengaluru attended by former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.
Murthy, who previously represented the Pulakeshinagar constituency, parted ways with the Congress in 2023 after not receiving a party ticket for the Assembly elections. He subsequently contested as a candidate for the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) but suffered a defeat to the Congress contender by a considerable margin.
Expressing his discontentment with the Congress, Murthy highlighted an unfortunate incident where his residence was targeted and set ablaze by miscreants. This incident occurred amidst a controversy involving his nephew posting content deemed derogatory towards Prophet Mohammed on social media in 2022.
Former Bengaluru mayor and Congress leader Sampath Raj was arrested in connection with the arson attack.
Addressing the gathering post his induction into the BJP, Murthy remarked, "The perpetrators who set my house on fire are closely associated with Congress state president D K Shivakumar. The ill-treatment I received from the Congress has driven me to join the BJP. I am committed to supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and striving to reinstate the BJP government in Karnataka."
Yediyurappa extended a warm welcome to Murthy's decision to join the BJP, asserting that it would significantly fortify the party's position. He expressed optimism about BJP candidate Shobha Karandlaje securing victory in the Bengaluru North Lok Sabha constituency with a substantial margin.
Yediyurappa also took a swipe at the Congress, accusing the party of failing to stand by Murthy during the attack on his residence. He underscored the importance of Murthy's alliance with the BJP, especially in the Pulakeshinagar Assembly constituency falling under the Bengaluru North parliamentary segment.
Given the significant Dalit voter base in Pulakeshinagar, Murthy's stature as a prominent young Dalit leader in Karnataka could potentially influence Dalit voters in favour of the BJP.
The strategic move is anticipated to invigorate BJP's electoral prospects in the forthcoming Karnataka elections, with the party aiming to harness Murthy's influence and garner support from the Dalit community.
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